Blue whale. Credit: Elianne Dipp, Pexels.
The incredible revelation was revealed by six years of major acoustic studies published in PLOS 1: Scientists have confirmed that the blue whale is silent.
The study, led by biological oceanographer John P. Ryan, used an underwater microphone off the California coast to monitor songs from blue, fin and humpback whale. The study began in 2015 at the peak of a catastrophic ocean heat wave known as “The Blob.”
What the whales say to us
Blob-like ocean heat waves spanning more than 2,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean have destroyed the marine food chain. Krill, a small crustacean exclusively relied on by blue and fin whales, has almost disappeared. Without food, the whale slowly stopped singing.
“The blue whale voices have dropped by nearly 40%,” Ryan said. National Geographic“It’s like trying to sing while you’re hungry” (National Geographic).
Peer-reviewed studies have shown that the humpback whales, which can switch between humback whales and fish, continued singing, and that the blue and fin whales have become quiet in the age of food sculpture. Their song detection was directly correlated with Krill’s population data and ecological stress indicators.
Why Whale Songs are Important
The whale song reflects foraging success, reproductive efforts, and overall ecosystem health. When the blue whale is silent, it is a signal that the ocean balance is broken.
These animals have long lives and are roaming vast distances. As Oregon ecologist Dawn Barlow explained, it makes them “a walk of the ecosystem.” When they get quiet, it’s not just their problem – it’s ours too (National Geographic).
global warming
The same patterns have been recorded throughout the Pacific Ocean, from California to New Zealand: warming oceans, quiet whales with less clique. A 2025 survey found that the average duration of marine heat waves has tripled since the 1940s. These events are now hotter at up to 5°C than historical norms, and have a lasting effect on marine life.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, ocean noise has dropped dramatically as global transport slowed. Whale activity has increased.
“The animals changed their distribution and used their habitat differently when there were no more humans in those spaces,” said marine biologist Kelly Benoit Bird (National Geographic).
Currently, scientists are looking for a global network of underwater listening stations. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) helps you track marine health more effectively than satellites. As PLOS 1 Notes, whale songs could be powerful biological sensors for climate change, fisheries management and ecosystem conservation.
As greenhouse gas emissions fuel the ocean heat waves and push the krills to collapse, researchers warn us that we may be nearing a tipping point.
What does that mean for our future if the whales, the biggest, loudest, and widest creatures on the planet, begin to silence?
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