The Whup Call: Social and Song investigation
As part of my research into song and social sounds, I focus on the “Whup” call, a low‑frequency, pulse‑based sound that humpback whales use as a contact call and, at times, weave into their songs. As a social signal, the Whup appears to help whales announce their presence, gauge distance, and maintain awareness of one another across large acoustic spaces. Its structure carries cues that may support individual recognition, allowing whales to identify who is nearby without needing visual contact. When the Whup is incorporated into song, it takes on an additional role, becoming part of the larger thematic framework that whales share and modify over time. By studying how and when whales use this call, I’m exploring how they manage spatial relationships, coordinate movement, and communicate identity within both social groups and the broader singing population.
interactive playback: conversing with Humpback Twain
In a landmark interactive playback experiment designed to explore the structure and dynamics of humpback whale communication, the Whale SETI team sustained a vocal exchange with a free‑swimming humpback whale. As a participant in the exchange, I contributed field expertise and analytical insight, helping document, interpret, and contextualize the whale’s vocal response patterns within broader cross‑species communication research.
McCowan B, Hubbard J, Walker L, Sharpe F, Frediani J, Doyle L. 2023. Interactive bioacoustic playback as a tool for detecting and exploring nonhuman intelligence: “conversing” with an Alaskan humpback whale. PeerJ 11:e16349 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16349
Whales and the Logic Of Communication
My research examines the complex communication systems of humpback whales and how their structured songs can inform models for both interspecies communication and interstellar contact. I focus on how whales use rules, patterns, and relationships to build an evolving communication system with its own internal logic. By applying analytical tools from music theory and algorithmic signal processing, I shift attention away from decoding specific “meanings” and toward the universal mathematical structures embedded in their vocal patterns. This approach creates a bridge for comparing communication across vastly different kinds of minds. Ultimately, I see mastering cross‑species interaction on Earth as essential preparation for recognizing and responding to non‑human intelligence elsewhere in the universe.
hawaii field research
Winter Whales
Close encounters
Close encounters
Since 1999, my fieldwork in Hawai‘i has centered on recording and analyzing humpback whale song from my kayak—my floating observatory. Over the years, I’ve tracked the evolving structure of whale vocalizations, monitoring changes in phrasing, motif development, and the underlying logic of their progressions.
Close encounters
Close encounters
Close encounters
Often battling wind, waves, and unpredictable conditions, I’ve had close encounters with whales that were both humbling and transformative. Some of the most unforgettable moments have come humpback mothers bringing their calves directly beneath me— lingering, as if offering a quiet gesture of trust.
Song Evolutions
Close encounters
Song Evolutions
These intimate experiences have allowed me to witness the song’s annual revolutions and subtle compressions firsthand and the interplay between the whales as they go about their daily lives, deepening my understanding of their intelligence, culture and adaptive complexity.
Alaska FIELD research
Bubble Netting
Bubble Netting
Bubble Netting
During my field seasons in Alaska, I’ve joined scientific expeditions focused on the rich feeding grounds where humpback whales congregate in remarkable densities. Amid the dramatic fjords and glacial waters, I’ve documented feeding calls and observed the intricate choreography of bubble-net feeding—a cooperative hunting strategy that reveals astonishing social coordination and acoustic signaling.
Photos taken under Permit NMFS 26663
Observation
Bubble Netting
Bubble Netting
Despite the sheer number of whales in these northern waters, I’ve come to recognize and connect with a few individuals over time. Their unique behaviors, vocal signatures, and social roles have offered a more personal lens into the lives of these giants. These relationships, forged through repeated encounters and long hours of observation, have added emotional depth to the scientific rigor of my work, reminding me that behind every data point is a sentient being navigating a complex marine world.
Intelligence
Bubble Netting
Intelligence
Humpback whales continue to challenge and expand our understanding of non-human intelligence. Their use of tools, most notably in bubble-net feeding, is a striking example of strategic behavior and social coordination.
Beyond feeding, humpbacks exhibit complex vocal learning, long-term social bonds, and a capacity for innovation. The more time I spend with them the more I see not just instinct, but intention and intelligence.