Voices beneath the waves: Orca vocalizations 

Humans aren’t the only mammals with a lot to say. The region’s orcas are frequently communicating beneath the water’s surface, using a rich vocabulary of sounds.  

Unlike the endangered Southern Residents population, whose calls are tightly patterned and used for complex group cohesion, Bigg’s orcas (also known as transients) tend to vocalize less while hunting since their prey (like seals and porpoises) can hear them coming. 

But when they aren’t actively on the hunt, they can be surprisingly chatty.

“It’s like turning up the volume on a family reunion,” Puget Sound Express captain/naturalist EJ Tilt said.

Researchers and whale watchers use hydrophones to help track orcas. The recorded calls range from high-pitched squeals to rhythmic pulsing–some even sounding like whistles or clicks from a sci-fi movie. Certain calls can identify not just species, but specific families. Recent studies suggest that Bigg’s orcas may have more vocal variation than once thought. 

Last year, two families of Bigg’s killer whales–the T99s and the T36s–moved through local waters, seemingly greeting and connecting beneath the surface. The scene was captured on video by the crew of Puget Sound Express, who also dropped a hydrophone into the water to record a chorus of vocalizations. For many on board, it was their first time hearing orcas “speak” in real time.   

“These calls give us goosebumps,” Tilt said. “Each family has its own acoustic signature, and these two groups were being especially vocal. It was likely a mix of communication and social bonding.” 

Hearing these wild sounds live offers a sense of connection to the denizens of the Salish Sea.

“It reminds us that they’re not just passing through–they’re talking, interacting, being fully alive out there,” Tilt said.

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