Beluga whales, the “canaries of the sea,” possess a remarkable faculty for mimicry that stretches beyond the typical whale sounds, raising questions about their communication abilities and cognitive skills.

In the frigid Arctic waters, these white whales, also closely related to the narwhal, chatter incessantly, weaving a complex auditory tapestry that is, unfortunately, increasingly muffled by human industrial noise. Yet amid this cacophony, one beluga made headlines by breaking through the interspecies language barrier.

In the summer of 1977, the U.S. Navy, expanding its Cold Ops initiative for Arctic waters, sought out belugas for their natural sonar abilities.

Noc, a two-year-old male beluga, was among those captured and spent his life in service, demonstrating extraordinary diving and retrieval capabilities.

Little did anyone know, Noc was not only adept at his assigned tasks but would also astonish his human counterparts with an unprecedented display of vocal imitation.

In 1984, at the National Marine Mammal Foundation in San Diego, operators of an underwater communications device known as a “wet phone” heard what sounded like two distant people conversing.

The source, however, was not human. It was Noc, the beluga whale, who had managed to replicate the tone and rhythm of human speech, compelling a diver to emerge from the water following what he believed was an instruction to surface. This event marked the onset of a four-year period during which Noc spontaneously produced human-like sounds.

Noc’s mimicry raised him to global attention when a recording of his “speech” surfaced on the internet.

Although his acoustic profile seemed initially amusing, it also carried a more profound message. His mimicry was not merely a parlor trick but perhaps a means to communicate or a coping mechanism reflecting social isolation.

The beluga whale’s ability to mimic human speech is not only a testament to its vocal learning capabilities but also suggests a desire for social interaction. Noc’s case has prompted scientists to consider the possibility of more profound cross-species communication.

Noc had altered the typical use of his nasal tract, exerting significant effort to reproduce the sounds he had observed from his human caregivers. This voluntary change in his natural vocalization was a strong indication of his motivation for contact.

Beluga whales in captivity often exhibit such vocalizations, suggesting that other captive whales might also be capable of similar feats.

The ability of these animals to alter their vocal patterns to such an extent that they resemble human speech is a significant scientific discovery that expands our understanding of cetacean intelligence and the potential for inter-species communication.

However, Noc’s mimicry also underscores the beluga’s essential reliance on sound. In the wild, these creatures navigate, socialize, and express their entire being through acoustic signals.

The increasing noise pollution in their habitats not only inhibits their communication but may also pose a threat to their survival.

Relevant articles:
– Society for Marine Mammalogy, Society for Marine Mammalogy
– History Daily, historydaily.org
– The Story of One Whale Who Tried to Bridge the Linguistic Divide Between Animals and Humans, Smithsonian Magazine
– Male Beluga Whale Mimics Human Voice, Live Science