In 2015, whale researcher Valeria Vergara began recording the vocalizations of beluga whales in a bay on Somerset Island, located in Canada’s high Arctic. Using a hydrophone submerged in the frigid waters, she captured the complex sounds of as many as 1,000 belugas, including newborn calves, in the region. These whales rely heavily on acoustic communication to navigate and maintain social bonds in the dim and murky Arctic environment.

Vergara, director of the cetacean research program at the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, has documented that beluga calves spend several years learning their species’ vocal repertoire, often producing playful and unstructured “babbling” sounds similar to human toddlers. One of the first vocal skills they develop is an “acoustic name tag,” used for individual identification. However, Vergara’s recent findings indicate that these calls have a much shorter underwater range in calves compared to adults and are susceptible to disruption by boat noise. This vulnerability led Canadian authorities in 2018 to restrict boat traffic in key beluga habitats to reduce acoustic interference and help calves maintain contact with their mothers and pod.

Belugas represent one of many whale species characterized by rich and varied vocalizations. Across cetaceans, researchers have identified population-specific dialects and vocal traditions, which appear to be socially learned and encompass unique behaviours such as specialized foraging and migration patterns. For example, scientists studying a distinct group of endangered orcas in Canada’s Salish Sea are attempting to link specific call types to particular activities, aided by drone observations. The aim is to develop conservation strategies that address how noise pollution disrupts specific behaviours rather than relying on generalized assumptions about shipping impacts.

The concept of culture in whale societies, once controversial, is now widely accepted, especially regarding species like humpback whales. Only males sing, arranging sound units into "phrases" and "themes" that form evolving songs shared within populations. These songs propagate rapidly among neighboring groups, resembling waves of cultural transmission comparable to human musical trends, according to Dr. Ellen Garland of St Andrews University. Such cultural dynamics not only deepen understanding of whale communication but also offer conservationists tools to identify distinct populations and their vulnerabilities.

Sperm whales also exhibit complex social vocalizations known as "codas," with distinct patterns or “identity codas” that serve to reinforce group cohesion and act as acoustic markers of population. Researchers, including Taylor Hersh from Bristol University, emphasize that these vocal traditions contribute valuable cultural information to inform conservation efforts, particularly as ocean conditions worsen worldwide.

Innovative research by Project Ceti, a US-based nonprofit, is applying machine learning to decode sperm whale codas, revealing context-dependent variations and suggesting the presence of sounds resembling "vowels." Linguistic expert Gašper Beguš highlights the potential for these findings to challenge traditional definitions of language and influence legal considerations regarding animal rights. While the question of whether whales possess true language remains debated, there is consensus that deeper knowledge of their communication can enhance protective measures.

Despite occasional attempts to engage whales through playback experiments, many researchers caution against such interventions due to ethical concerns and the potential for disrupting whale cultures. Vergara stresses that the value in studying whale communication lies not in simulated conversation but in understanding how acoustic signals sustain these species’ survival in changing marine environments. Her work exemplifies how listening to whales promises insights that could inform more effective conservation strategies in the face of growing environmental challenges.