Thanks to Sound Action‘s heroic efforts at installing and maintaining the Orca and Nearshore Cam (underwater web cam + hydrophone) on at Point Robinson, we now know that humpback whales vocalize in central Puget Sound! There have been occasional sightings of humpbacks within Puget Sound proper over the past 5 decades, and they have become more frequent in recent years during the “humpback comeback” within the Salish Sea. Similarly, over the past 5 years it has become common for humpbacks to be heard vocalizing during the fall month just beyond Puget Sound proper, in Haro Strait.

So, it was very exciting to hear humpbacks calling in real time through the Point Robinson hydrophone! Here is a short (51-second) clip containing some of the recorded calls from the evening of 1/2/2022:

Interestingly, these calls were made at dusk, about a half hour after sunset. The recording time was from 16:56:38-16:57:30 and the sun set that day over Puget Sound at 16:29.

The clip contains just two clear calls separated by 42 seconds of silence (calls at video frame times of 4:56:44 and 4:57:26). Referring to the Salish Sea Humpback Vocalization Catalogue (v1, by Emily Vierling), these calls sound like moans or descending moans.

There were many Puget Sound humpback sightings in the month of January, 2022, but we can’t be sure which of the sighted individuals made these calls. With luck, and the increasing coordination between local sighting and listening networks, we will be able to tell which individuals or groups are vocalizing within Puget Sound soon.

Given the increasing occurrence of humpbacks in Puget Sound, if you are a recreational boater be sure to learn (from MERS) how to avoid striking one of these magnificent, soniferous whales: