Frequency Ranges of Marine Animal Sounds
For selected animals likely to be in or near Cape Cod coastal waters
Marine Mammals: Whales
North Atlantic Right Whale. Photo courtesy of WHOI Archives.
North Atlantic Right Whale sound frequency: 0.4kHz
Humpback whale. Photo by Melissa Patrician, WHOI.
Humpback Whale sound frequency: 0.03-8 kHz
Sperm whale. Public domain.
Sperm whale sound frequency: echolocation clicks, 0.1 - 30 kHz
Long-finned pilot whale. Photo by Amy Nevala, WHOI.
Long-finned pilot whale sound frequency: whistles, 1-8 kHz; echolocation clicks, around 50 kHz
Bottlenose dolphin. NOAA.
Bottlenose dolphin sound frequency:whistles 0.2-30 kHz; echolocation clicks 40-150 kHz
Atlantic white-sided dolphin. Photo by Lance Wills, WHOI.
Atlantic white-sided dolphin sound frequency: whistles 3-20 kHz
Common dolphin. NOAA.
Common dolphin sound frequency: whistles 3-20 kHz
Harbor porpoise. Public domain.
Harbor porpoise sound frequency: clicks, 110 - 170 kHz
Marine Mammals: Seals
Harbor seal. Public domain.
Harbor seal sound frequency: 0.2 - 16 kHz
Gray Seal. Public domain.
Gray seal sound frequency: 0.4 - 16 kHz
Fish
Cusk eel. NOAA.
Cusk eel sound frequency: "chatter" 1.098-1.866 kHz
Sound courtesy of Aaron Mooney, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Black drum. Public domain.
Cusk eel sound frequency: "drumming" 0.1-0.5 kHz
Sound courtesy of James Locascio and David Mann, University of South Florida College of Marine Science.
Cod fish. Photo by Hans-Petter Fjeld.
Cusk eel sound frequency: "knocks, clicks" 0.03-8.5 kHz