Link to episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygFUaYF-5dg
Episode Sources:
⇢Zdor, Eduard . “Subsistence Whaling of the Chukotkan Indigenous Peoples.” SENRI ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES, vol. 104, 22 Mar. 2021, pp. 75–92, https://doi.org/10.15021/00009656.
⇢Science and Media Museum. “A History of Whaling.” National Science and Media Museum, 10 Feb. 2022, www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/history-whaling.
⇢Evans, Lauren. “Commercial Whaling 101.” NRDC, 6 May 2020, www.nrdc.org/stories/commercial-whaling-101.
⇢Chatwin, Dale. “An Overview of the British Southern Whale Fishery.” 2016. https://www.britishwhaling.org/uploads/1/0/9/5/109542063/an_overview_of_the_british_southern_whale_fishery_june_2016.pdf⇢Deal, Robert. LAWS of HONOUR: THE LAWS and CUSTOMS of ANGLO-AMERICAN WHALIN. Jan. 2010, scholarshare.temple.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/7b575ca4-9416-4b16-a35d-4357b79c2242/content#:~:text=Whaling%20in%20the%20eighteenth%20and,than%20with%20well%20understood%20customs⇢“American ⇢Offshore Whaling : Voyages – Whaling History.” Whalinghistory.org, 2018, whalinghistory.org/av/voyages/.
⇢“Why Whales Were Vital in the First World War.” Imperial War Museums, www.iwm.org.uk/history/why-whales-were-vital-in-the-first-world-war.
⇢“Harvesting Light: New England Whaling in the Nineteenth Century – Energy History.” Energyhistory.yale.edu, energyhistory.yale.edu/harvesting-light-new-england-whaling-in-the-nineteenth-century/.
⇢“Britain and Whaling – Whaler’s Memory Bank.” Sgmuseum.gs, 2026, whalersmemorybank.sgmuseum.gs/chapter/wartime-britain-and-whaling/. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Ruge, Friedrich. “German Naval Strategy during World War Ii.” Naval War College Review, vol. 5, no. 9, 1953, pp. 1–30, www.jstor.org/stable/44640243.
⇢Mustill, Tom. How to Speak Whale. Grand Central Publishing, 6 Sept. 2022.
⇢Chalmin, Philippe. “The History of Plastics: From the Capitol to the Tarpeian Rock.” Field Actions Science Reports. The Journal of Field Actions, vol. 19, no. Special Issue 19, 1 Mar. 2019, pp. 6–11, journals.openedition.org/factsreports/5071.
⇢Haney, Marshall. “Petroleum.” The Scientific Monthly, vol. 17, no. 6, 1923, pp. 548–561. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3693096, https://doi.org/10.2307/3693096.⇢“Will These Gentle Giants Return to the Salish Sea? | Encyclopedia of Puget Sound.” Eopugetsound.org, 2024, www.eopugetsound.org/magazine/basking-sharks.
⇢Leiren-Young, Mark. The Killer Whale Who Changed the World. Greystone Books, 13 Sept. 2016.
⇢Stafford, Kathleen M., et al. “Seasonal Variability and Detection Range Modeling of Baleen Whale Calls in the Gulf of Alaska, 1999–2002.” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 122, no. 6, Dec. 2007, pp. 3378–3390, https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2799905.
⇢Frazer, L.N., and E. Mercado. “A Sonar Model for Humpback Whale Song.” IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, vol. 25, no. 1, Jan. 2000, pp. 160–182, https://doi.org/10.1109/48.820748.
⇢Dodson, Stephanie, et al. “Long-Distance Communication Can Enable Collective Migration in a Dynamic Seascape.” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, no. 1, 27 June 2024, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-65827-2.
⇢Ramp, Christian, et al. “Age-Related Multi-Year Associations in Female Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae).” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, vol. 64, no. 10, 18 May 2010, pp. 1563–1576, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-010-0970-8.
⇢Weinrich, Mason T. “Stable Social Associations among Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) in the Southern Gulf of Maine.” Canadian Journal of Zoology, vol. 69, no. 12, 1 Dec. 1991, pp. 3012–3019, https://doi.org/10.1139/z91-425. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020.
⇢Ziegesar, Olga von, et al. “Long-Term Associations and Insights on Social Structure of the Humpback Whales in Prince William Sound, Alaska.” BioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), 2 Mar. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.02.972828. Accessed 2 June 2025.
⇢Clapham, Phillip J., and Charles A. Mayo. “Reproduction and Recruitment of Individually Identified Humpback Whales, Megaptera Novaeangliae, Observed in Massachusetts Bay, 1979–1985.” Canadian Journal of Zoology, vol. 65, no. 12, 1 Dec. 1987, pp. 2853–2863, https://doi.org/10.1139/z87-434. Accessed 12 May 2021.
⇢Young, Robert, and Annalisa Berta. The Little Book of Whales. Princeton University Press, 22 Oct. 2024.
⇢Wildlife, Fish &. “White-Tailed Deer Biology.” Fish & Wildlife, 29 Jan. 2021, www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/white-tailed-deer-biology/.
⇢Polanowski, Andrea M., et al. “Epigenetic Estimation of Age in Humpback Whales.” Molecular Ecology Resources, vol. 14, no. 5, 7 Apr. 2014, pp. 976–987, https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12247.
⇢Lagunas-Rangel, Francisco Alejandro. “Deciphering the Whale’s Secrets to Have a Long Life.” Experimental Gerontology, vol. 151, 1 Aug. 2021, p. 111425, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531556521002072, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2021.111425.
⇢45 minute humpback breath hold stated by: The Pacific Whale Foundation and Rinaldi, Valentino “Humpback Whale’s Physiology and Diving Mechanics.” FREEDIVE COLOMBIA, 12 Sept. 2020, freedivecolombia.com/1699-2/.
⇢Eichenberger, Franca, et al. “Reproductive Tactics in Baleen Whales.” Springer EBooks, 1 Jan. 2023, pp. 469–498, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_20.⇢“Humpback Whale.” Iwc.int, iwc.int/about-whales/whale-species/humpback-whale.
⇢Hickey, Hannah. “Bowhead Whales, the “Jazz Musicians” of the Arctic, Sing Many Different Songs.” UW News, 2018, www.washington.edu/news/2018/04/03/bowhead-whales-the-jazz-musicians-of-the-arctic-sing-many-different-songs/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
⇢Tervo, Outi M, et al. “Evidence for Simultaneous Sound Production in the Bowhead Whale (Balaena Mysticetus).” the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America/the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 130, no. 4, 1 Oct. 2011, pp. 2257–2262, https://doi.org/10.1121/1.3628327. Accessed 18 May 2024.
⇢Hans Wilhelm Pau, et al. “Experiments on the Mechanism of Underwater Hearing.” Acta Oto-Laryngologica, vol. 131, no. 12, 5 Sept. 2011, pp. 1279–1285, https://doi.org/10.3109/00016489.2011.607845. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
⇢Feinstein, Stephen H. “HUMAN HEARING under WATER: ARE THINGS as BAD as THEY SEEM?” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 40, no. 6, 1 Dec. 1966, pp. 1561–1562, doi.org/10.1121/1.1910267, https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1910267. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
⇢Rankin, Shannon, and Jay Barlow. “Source of the North Pacific “Boing” Sound Attributed to Minke Whales.” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 118, no. 5, Nov. 2005, pp. 3346–3351, https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2046747. Accessed 16 May 2022.
⇢Herman, Louis M. “The Multiple Functions of Male Song within the Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae ) Mating System: Review, Evaluation, and Synthesis.” Biological Reviews, vol. 92, no. 3, 7 Nov. 2016, pp. 1795–1818, https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12309.
⇢Darling, James D., and Martine Berube. “INTERACTIONS of SINGING HUMPBACK WHALES with OTHER MALES.” Marine Mammal Science, vol. 17, no. 3, July 2001, pp. 570–584, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2001.tb01005.x. Accessed 7 Oct. 2020.
⇢Vermeij, Mark J. A., et al. “Coral Larvae Move toward Reef Sounds.” PLoS ONE, vol. 5, no. 5, 14 May 2010, p. e10660, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0010660, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010660.
⇢Vu, ET, et al. “Humpback Whale Song Occurs Extensively on Feeding Grounds in the Western North Atlantic Ocean.” Aquatic Biology, vol. 14, no. 2, 23 Jan. 2012, pp. 175–183, https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00390. Accessed 26 Apr. 2021.
⇢Tervo, Outi, et al. “Bowhead Whale Songs Sung by Females in Disko Bay, Greenland.” University of Southern Denmark, 2026, portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/en/publications/bowhead-whale-songs-sung-by-females-in-disko-bay-greenland/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Image Sources:
⇢Seal Pokemon: LyricalLafayette. Reddit.com, 2026, www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/ay57pe/to_everyone_complaining_that_only_now_pokemon_has/. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Wailord image: Kyurem147. “Team Rocket’s Wailord.” Pokémon Wiki, Fandom, Inc., 2026, pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Team_Rocket%27s_Wailord. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Magikarp to Gyrados: Donnellan, Jimmy. “Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: How to Evolve Magikarp into Gyarados.” Cultured Vultures, 18 Nov. 2022, culturedvultures.com/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-evolve-magikarp-into-gyarados/. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Sperm whale & blackfish oil: Costello, Silas J. “Why Whale Oil?” Silas J. Costello, 24 Feb. 2023, www.sj-costello.com/essays/2023/2/24/why-whale-oil. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Whalebone corset: Palmer, Alexandra & Brian Boyle “A 19th-Century Whalebone Corset.” Rom.on.ca, 18 Jan. 2026, www.rom.on.ca/magazine/19th-century-whalebone-corset.
⇢Whale broom: “19th Century Whalebone and Baleen Brush.” Carter’s Price Guide to Antiques and Collectables, 2026, www.carters.com.au/index.cfm/item/960719-a-whalebone-and-baleen-brush-19th-century-26-cm/. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Whale brush: “White Baleen Brush | New Bedford Whaling Museum.” Pinterest, 11 Feb. 2020, pin.it/2GVrgTZpO. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Whale oils: Ackerman, Daniel. “Inside Computers and Spacecraft, a Legacy of New Bedford’s Whaling Days Lives On.” CAI, GBH Cape and Islands (CAI), 20 Sept. 2021, www.capeandislands.org/local-news/2021-09-20/inside-computers-and-spacecraft-a-legacy-of-new-bedfords-whaling-days-lives-on. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Humpback spectrograph 1: Knowlton, Chris. “Vocalizations Associated with Reproduction.” Discovery of Sound in the Sea, dosits.org/animals/use-of-sound/marine-mammal-communication/vocalizations-associated-with-reproduction/.
⇢Roger Payne spectrograph: Payne, R. S., and S. McVay. “Songs of Humpback Whales.” Science, vol. 173, no. 3997, 13 Aug. 1971, pp. 585–597.
⇢Roger Payne image: Hoare, Philip. “Roger Payne Obituary.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 16 June 2023, www.theguardian.com/global/2023/jun/16/roger-payne-obituary. Photo by Iain Kerr/Ocean Alliance
⇢Whale Populations graph: “The Decline of Global Whale Populations.” Our World in Data, ourworldindata.org/grapher/whale-populations. Data sourced from Pershing, Andrew J., et al. “The Impact of Whaling on the Ocean Carbon Cycle: Why Bigger Was Better.” PLoS ONE, vol. 5, no. 8, 26 Aug. 2010, p. e12444, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0012444, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012444.
⇢Old Timer Data: “Check out Humpback Whale Old Timer (Frederick Sound)!” Happywhale.com, 2026, happywhale.com/individual/14432. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Earplug analysis image adapted from: Winfield, Zach C., et al. “Eighty Years of Chemical Exposure Profiles of Persistent Organic Pollutants Reconstructed through Baleen Whale Earplugs.” Science of the Total Environment, vol. 737, Oct. 2020, p. 139564, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139564. Accessed 11 Dec. 2021.
⇢Humpback song download: Internet Archive. “Songs of the Humpback Whale.” Internet Archive, 1970, archive.org/details/songsofhumpbackw00payn/01_Side_1.mp3. Recording by Roger S Payne.
⇢Phonic lips image adapted from: Berta, Annalisa, et al. “Review of the Cetacean Nose: Form, Function, and Evolution.” The Anatomical Record, vol. 297, no. 11, 14 Oct. 2014, pp. 2205–2215, https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23034.
⇢Humpback vocal chords: Reidenberg, Joy S., and Jeffrey T. Laitman. “Discovery of a Low Frequency Sound Source in Mysticeti (Baleen Whales): Anatomical Establishment of a Vocal Fold Homolog.” The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, vol. 290, no. 6, 2007, pp. 745–759, https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.20544. Accessed 16 May 2020.
⇢Dolphin air sacs: Knowlton, Chris. “How Do Marine Mammals Produce Sounds?” Discovery of Sound in the Sea, 1 July 2017, dosits.org/animals/sound-production/how-do-marine-mammals-produce-sounds/.
⇢Sound through air vs water: Fagan, Kirsten. “How Fast Does Sound Travel?” Discovery of Sound in the Sea, 9 Sept. 2016, dosits.org/science/movement/how-fast-does-sound-travel/.
⇢Owl ear asymmetry: “Bird Ear Asymmetry.” Umd.edu, 2026, science.umd.edu/faculty/wilkinson/BSCI338/L6reception/sld022.htm. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
⇢Dolphin skull asymmetry adapted from: Coombs, Ellen J., et al. “Wonky Whales: The Evolution of Cranial Asymmetry in Cetaceans.” BMC Biology, vol. 18, no. 1, 10 July 2020, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-020-00805-4.