Lonely tunes: Humpback whales wail less as population grows

By CHRISTINA LARSON
AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study suggests those melancholy tunes sung by humpback whales may really be a sign of loneliness. Scientists who tracked humpback whales in Australia noticed that fewer whales wailed to find mates as their population grew. Eastern Australia’s humpback whales were facing regional extinction in the 1960s, with only around 200 whales left. But with the end of commercial whaling, their population rebounded. Only male whales sing, and scientists believe the tunes play a role in attracting mates and asserting dominance. The researchers, who published their work Thursday, think singing played an outsized role in attracting mates when there were few whales around.