A team from the University of Queensland in Australia<\/a> looked into the ways humpbacks in different geographical populations could match each other\u2019s songs. Using seven years of recordings, the researchers took a deep dive into the details of six song types made by humpbacks from eastern Australia, which were learned a year later by whales around New Caledonia \u2013 an island group around 1,200km away.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found they actually learned the exact sounds, without simplifying or leaving anything out,\u201d says Jenny Allen, who led the study. \u201cEach year we observed them they sang a different song, so it means humpback whales can learn an entire song pattern from another population very quickly, even if it\u2019s complex or difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n More related content<\/p>\n Orcas killing a blue whale. \u00a9 John Daw on board Naturaliste Charters<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> Such copying is remarkable \u2013 a bit like a human hearing opera, then singing it back perfectly. It also suggests cultural sharing<\/a>. Songs are likely being learned on migration routes or at feeding grounds.<\/p>\n![\""Orcas\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2022\/02\/Orcas-killing-blue-whale_credit-John-Daw-on-board-Naturaliste-Charters-4d0d1d7.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556"\" "\\"\"Orcas\\"")
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