Comparison of echolocation clicks from geographically sympatric killer whales and long-finned pilot whales (L)

• Published in: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
• Main Authors: Eskesen, Ida G., Wahlberg, Magnus, Simon, Malene, Larsen, Ole Næsbye
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Killer Whale; Killer whale
• Online Access: https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/ac15ae40-87fa-11df-846a-000ea68e967b; https://doi.org/10.1121/1.3583499

The source characteristics of biosonar signals from sympatric killer whales and long-finned pilot whales in a Norwegian fjord were compared. A total of 137 pilot whale and more than 2000 killer whale echolocation clicks were recorded using a linear four-hydrophone array. Of these, 20 pilot whale clicks and 28 killer whale clicks were categorized as being recorded on-axis. The clicks of pilot whales had a mean apparent source level of 196 dB re 1 μPa pp and those of killer whales 203 dB re 1 μPa pp. The duration of pilot whale clicks was significantly shorter (23 μs, S.E. 1.3) and the centroid frequency significantly higher (55 kHz, S.E. 2.1) than killer whale clicks (duration: 41 μs, S.E. 2.6; centroid frequency: 32 kHz, S.E. 1.5). The rate of increase in the accumulated energy as a function of time also differed between clicks from the two species. The differences in duration, frequency, and energy distribution may have a potential to allow for the distinction between pilot and killer whale clicks when using automated detection routines for acoustic monitoring.