Election night humpback calls at Orcasound Lab

November 4, 2020 · By Scott Veirs

For about a half hour starting around 20:00 this evening (Tues, 3 Nov 2020), humpback calls were recorded at Orcasound Lab, just south of Roche Harbor in Haro Strait. Humpbacks have been sighted along the west side of San Juan Island increasingly in recent weeks, as well as in the Strait of Juan de Fuca (e.g. off Sooke, BC).

Scratchy, a humpback observed in Boundary Pass and identified by the Happy Whale app.

This is what they sounded like!

2.5 minute sample — .ogg2.5 minute sample – .mp3

Let’s hope we get to hear more of them in the coming month or two. In the past ~5 years we’ve heard them every year at some point between October and January.

Longer 15-minute recording, from 20:02-20:17 —

15-minute clip (.ogg)15-minute clip (.mp3)

Comments

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Raphiell Nolin

November 5, 2020

I recognize that song from last season. Thanks for sharing the recording.

Scott Veirs

December 11, 2020

That’s exciting to hear that your hearing such patterns across the Pacific, Raphiell! We here in the Salish Sea are looking forward to learning more from y’all in Hawaii about humpback vocalizations. Occupancy seems to be continuing to increase here in the inland waters of Washington State, which we attribute to a return to pre-whaling population levels and movement patterns — what we call “the humpback comeback.”