A haunting humpback whale song recording more than seventy years old is helping scientists better understand how whales communicate and how the ocean once sounded.
Researchers say the oldest whale recording unlocks secrets about whale vocal behavior and the marine soundscape before modern ocean noise increased. The historic audio was captured in March 1949 near Bermuda and has now been analyzed by scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
The discovery provides a rare look at whale communication decades before scientists formally identified whale songs. It also reveals what the ocean environment sounded like long before heavy global shipping traffic transformed underwater acoustics.
Historic whale recording captured during sonar experiments
The whale song was recorded while researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution were conducting underwater acoustic experiments. The scientists were working alongside the U.S. Office of Naval Research to test sonar systems and record underwater sounds.
Hydrophones—specialized underwater microphones—captured the unusual sound patterns during those experiments near Bermuda. At the time, researchers did not realize they had recorded a whale song.
Ashley Jester, director of research data and library services at Woods Hole, said the scientists decided to preserve the recordings out of curiosity.
According to Jester, the team kept their equipment running and sometimes stopped all activity on their vessel to reduce noise. This allowed them to capture as much natural ocean sound as possible. Those recordings were later stored in the institution’s archives.
Rediscovered decades later in preserved audio
The historic whale recording was rediscovered only recently when scientists began digitizing archival audio collections.
During the project, Jester located a well-preserved recording disc created by a Gray Audograph, a dictation machine widely used during the 1940s.
The discovery proved significant because many early underwater recordings were stored on magnetic tape, which often deteriorates over time. The plastic disc used for this recording survived in excellent condition, allowing scientists to recover the sound clearly.
Although the recording equipment used in the 1940s appears basic by modern standards, it represented advanced technology at the time. Early hydrophones and acoustic systems enabled scientists to capture underwater sounds that were only beginning to be studied.
Recorded long before whale songs were discovered
The recording predates one of the most famous discoveries in marine science. It was captured nearly two decades before marine biologist Roger Payne revealed the complex songs of humpback whales in the late 1960s.
The 1949 humpback whale sounds were captured on a Gray Audograph, an office dictation device that etched audio onto thin plastic discs, and were likely recorded using the WHOI “suitcase,” an early experimental underwater acoustic recording system. pic.twitter.com/4RwkDaywbF
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) March 16, 2026
At the time of the 1949 recording, scientists did not yet recognize that whales produced structured songs. Only years later did researchers discover that humpback whales sing repeating musical phrases that form long, complex sequences.
The rediscovered recording contains the same repeating patterns now recognized as a defining feature of humpback whale songs.
Whale songs play a vital role in survival
Whales rely heavily on sound to survive and communicate in the vast ocean. Visibility underwater is often limited, making acoustic signals essential.
Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say whales produce a wide range of sounds, including clicks, whistles, and calls. These signals help them navigate long distances, locate food, and maintain contact with other whales.
Some whale species also produce repetitive vocal patterns that resemble songs. Among them, humpback whales are widely considered the ocean’s most remarkable singers.
These massive marine mammals can weigh more than 55,000 pounds (about 24,947 kilograms). Their songs contain repeating phrases arranged into complex sequences that can continue for minutes or even hours. Scientists believe male humpback whales perform these songs mainly during the breeding season.
Recording reveals how quiet the ocean once was
Beyond whale communication, the recording also captures something rarely heard today: the sound of a quieter ocean. Peter Tyack, a marine bioacoustician and emeritus research scholar at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said the oceans of the late 1940s were far quieter than modern seas.
At that time, there was far less shipping traffic and industrial activity underwater. Today, constant noise from ships and machinery creates a persistent background sound that can interfere with marine communication.
By comparing the historic recording with modern audio, scientists may better understand how human activity has changed the ocean’s acoustic environment.
Research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that whales can adjust their calling behavior depending on surrounding noise. They may change the timing, pitch, or volume of their calls in response to environmental sound.
A discovery that continues to inspire ocean research
Scientists say the rediscovered audio provides an important reference point for studying whale communication.
Hansen Johnson, a research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, said the recording offers valuable insight into how whales communicated before modern ocean noise increased.
Comparing older recordings with modern ones may help researchers understand how whales adapt their communication as the marine environment changes. Johnson also noted that the haunting sound has inspired curiosity about ocean life.
For many listeners, the rediscovered recording is both a scientific milestone and a reminder of the beauty of the natural ocean. The song recorded near Bermuda in 1949 continues to echo across time, helping scientists uncover new secrets about the voices of the sea.
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