Embedded Files
🪩 LIVE SHOW DATES 🏛️
26/6/25 Glastonbury Festival, Woodsies Stage, Multi-channel
21 - 24 /8/25 Shambala Festival 2025 TBC
How To Be A Whale is a 30 min bioacoustic listening journey. Frequencies that come out of these animals is unimaginably wild. The Whales are sub bass bins. The seals are rave Synths. The Orcas are trappy hi-hats. Lights off, headphones on / system up and see how far you can go...
How To Be A Whale is a soundscape of many hundreds of scientific recordings woven together into a story told through the lives of seven different whales and dolphins in a celebration of the sounds of the sea.
Played on Cerys Matthews Show on BBC 6 Music
Released for free ahead of World Ocean Day and bringing the most striking, evocative and unusual marine recordings together with recent discoveries about their lives to imagine what it might be like to be a humpback whale, orca, spotted dolphin, blue whale, bowhead whale, pilot whale and baby sperm whale, and their lives among fishes, coral, crabs, sea urchins and seals, from the tropics to the poles to the deep sea.
It’s made by writer and wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill and me Whale DJ Vahakn with support from the charity WDC Whale and Dolphin Conservation with massive help from Harley Lambrianou and available for free for anyone to download HERE to play and have a marine listening party (CC-BY-NC-ND)
Tom and I would like to thank the generous and wonderful marine bioacoustics community for making their recordings available for this and other projects.
I've listened to it - here's my FEEDBACK
BACKGROUND
For this project, as well as drawing on the brilliant existing online archives of marine bioacoustics, many members of the marine science community also offered their personal recordings and WDC put out a call out - we received sea recordings from scientists and whale watchers and enthusiasts around the world.
Tom: "We made it as a way to help people think of whales and dolphins as individuals and imagine their lives, relationships and challenges. And because the sounds are just so weird and beautiful when we heard them we wanted to share them.”
Vahakn: “All the sounds are real vocalisations from real animals in the water. Nothing is special effects or synthesised. This whale-pod cast has been a labour of love - we’ve spent months going through thousands of faint and crackly recordings from every ocean - some the scientists who recorded haven’t even heard before! Some are so deep you can only feel them, so turn your bass up!”
SPECIAL SOUNDS
The soundscape includes the only known records of the voices of John Coe and Aquarius, the UK’s last two surviving native orca, painstakingly picked out of SAMS' and HWDT's recordings by Vahakn and recordings from the Sperm Whales off Dominica that animal communication researchers at Project CETI have just discovered have a whale alphabet.
DEDICATION
How To Be A Whale is inspired by and dedicated to the marine bioacoustic community, especially Roger and Katy Payne. Newly discovered archival recordings of Roger and Katy carrying out their research 50 years ago are woven into the last track.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways you can contribute. If you’d like to learn more visit whales.org, or if you just go to your nearest sea, there will probably be whales and dolphins there and people working to help them, who you can help too.
WHY LISTENING TO WHALES IS IMPORTANT
In the 70s Roger Payne and Katy Payne discovered that humpback whales sing. They played their songs to people, an album of whalesong was a smash hit and their recordings were even sent into space on the Voyager Space probes. When people heard their voices it made them want to protect the whales. The Save The Whales movement was a great success and an example of how when we get the chance to listen, we can change. Tom became friends with Roger and Katy while writing How To Speak Whale and inspired and encouraged by them has been volunteering to continue their work. Tom is a WDC Ambassador for Whales and Dolphins - taking whale voices to places their futures are being decided.
Last year Tom and Vahakn played them to thousands of delegates, schoolchildren and diplomats including Secretary John Kerry at COP 28.
Tom and Vahakn would like to thank the generous and wonderful marine bioacoustics community for making their recordings available for this and other projects.
Featuring recordings from Ocean Alliance, Project CETI, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, Cetacean Research Technology, BBC Natural History Unit Sound Library, The Sunken Lighthouse Project, Fishsounds, University of Washington, Global Library of Underwater Biological Sounds, Discovery of Sound in the Sea, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Voices in the Sea, Sonartech Inc, WhaleAcoustics LLC, JASCO Applied Sciences, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Australian Antarctic Division, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Freesound, Robots4Whales, John Ryan, Joseph R Olson, Jörg Rychen, Misael Morales Vargas, Marco Montiel-Soto, Amorim, Hawkins, B Wilson, Kathleen M Stafford, Miles Parsons, Sophie L Nedelec, Erbe et al, Carriço et al, Pine et al, Veronica Coppolaro, Thomas R Kieckhefer, James Locascio, David Mann, Ari Daniel Shapiro, Arthur Newhall, Kendall Folkert, Jan Straley, Aaron Thode, Jay Barlow, Shannon Rankin, Freesound.org - Robinhood76, August Sandberg, Glaneur-de-sons, Inspector J, LGarrett, Kris Boruff, Javier Zumer, Inmotion Audio, Listening To Whales, Felix Blume, Gerald Feibig, Aguasonic, Klankbeeld, Mark Baumgartner Human voices: Katy Payne, Roger Payne, Tom Mustill, Vahakn.
FULL TRACKLIST SOURCES AND LICENSES
FULL TRACKLIST SOURCES AND LICENSES
HOW TO BE A WHALE by Tom Mustill & Vahakn Matossian & is released under CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 License 31.05.2024
Credits I
Credits I
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) via Dr John Ryan, (CC-BY-NC)
343682__mbari-mars__blue-whale-b-call-5x_2.aif369510__mbari-mars__blue-whale-d-calls-audible-only-with-appropriate-speakers_1.aif
03844__mbari-mars__blue-whale-a-and-b-calls-audible-only-with-appropriate-speakers_1.wav
403841__mbari-mars__fin-whale-audible-only-with-appropriate-speakers.wavQuake_sub setting 1.wav
20160718_054747_Earthquake_8x.wav227148315. aif
20160115_224820_SubmarineLandslide_10x.wav227195324.aif
404317__mbari-mars__rain-heard-900-meters-below-the-sea-surface.aif
20160321_144308_224308_Rain_48k.wav
403406__mbari-mars__humpback-whale.wav
448984__mbari-mars__humpback-whale-song.wav
496438__mbari-mars__mbari-mars-2017-1107h22-humpbackwhalesongsession.wav
404148__mbari-mars__pacific-white-sided-dolphins_1.wav
413377__mbari-mars__gray-whale_1.wav
496755__mbari-mars__mbari-mars-2017-1107h22-hs1p1.wav
227195329.aif
20160718_054747_Earthquake_8x.3.wav
20151113_031652_0910_DolphinWhistlesAndSealBombExplosions.wav
404317_mbari-mars-_rain-heard-900-meters-below-the-sea-surface.3.aif
Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) - (Licensed just for this project)
N1_channelA_2020-11-04_21-00-04_1.wav
N1_channelA_2020-10-11_11-00-04_1.wav
1_channelA_2020-11-13_00-00-04.wav
1_channelA_2020-11-13_00-00-04.31.wav
Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT). (Licensed just for this project)
Dolphin whistles_HWDT_1.wav
Risso's dolphin_HWDT_1.wav
HWDT.Sonar_HWDT.wav
Snapping shrimp_HWDT.wav
Jörg Rychen (Specific License to Tom Mustill)
Orca herring party (Full).wav
Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) (Specific License to Tom Mustill)
Sperm whale echlocation foraging CETI Tag January 2022.aif
Joseph R Olson/ Cetacean Research Technology (Specific License to Tom Mustill)
sq26-h1-Stenella_coeruleoalba_1-marchais.aif
wa-ferry-200m_1.aif
NavySonar05_05_03_14_05_4701-1.aif
BBC Sound Effects Library (BBC Non commercial and Educational terms)
NHU05003069.wavNHU05003131.wavNHU05003147.wavNHU05011195.wavNHU05011197.wavNHU10217645.wavNHU05029089.wavNHU10220021.wavNHU05089014_1.wavNHU05089016_1.wavNHU05091084_1.wavNHU05091085_1.wavNHU05016128_1.wavNHU05102157_1.wavNHU05102159_1.wavNHU05102160_1.wavNHU05016163_1.wavNHU05016170_1.wavNHU05100182.wavBBC07023328.wav05012166.1.aif10217645.4.aif00008092.wav07038338.wav0509412_1.wav0500313_1.wav0500306_1.wav07064002.wav07064013.wavNHU10217643.19.aif00008091.wav0510020NHU05100200.wav
Tom Mustill (CC-BY-NC)
Script and Narration
Gripping Films (Licensed just for this project)
Roger Payne advice on listening to whale song
Ocean Alliance (Specific license to Tom Mustill)
Fram2010-30.aif
Fram2010-32.aif
Fram2010-36.aif
1_1953_Bermuda_56.aif
56_18Aug1995_Alaska_NA.aif
583L_Sept30_KatyCensus_12.aif
19 8 Apr1957 WhaleSounds 54-24b.wav
47_1972-4_PayneRightWhale_NA.aif
583L_Sept30_KatyCensus_131970Sept19 voicenotes B-24b.wav
The Sunken Lighthouse (Misael Morales Vargas & Marco Montiel-Soto) (Specific License to this project)
EL-FARO-SUNKEN-LIGHTHOUSE-SIDE-A-ENDE. aif
Echolocation of Pilot Whale (G. macrorhynchus).wav
Calderén Tropical / Short Finned Pilot Whale / Globicephala macrorhynchus.wav
Fishsounds (public domain)
Amorim and Hawkings 2005 GURNARDFISHGROWL _1.wav
B Wilson et al 2003 Clupea-pallasii_FRT-1.wav
Clupea-pallasii_FRT-2.wav
Clupea-pallasii_FRT-3.wav
University of Washington - Kathleen M. Stafford (Public Domain dataset CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication)
Bowhead whale song recorded in Fram Strait on 11 Feb 2013.aif
Global Library of Underwater Biological Sounds (GLUBS)
Dr Sophie L Nedelec - (Specifically for this project) - Reef particle motion.wavSound of a Kina Sea Urchin (public domain)
Credits II
Credits II
Sound of A New Zealand Paddle Crab (public domain)
Erbe et Al 2017 Boing of a dwarf minke whale (public domain)
Pine Et Al 2018 - Chorus of unidentified fish species, Indo-PacificCarriço et al 2019 (public domain)
Unidentified fish species - Azores seamounts (public domain)
Miles Parsons (Specific license to this project)
Mulloway - Quiet period-24b.wav
Mulloway Category 2_1.wav
Mulloway callvariationbusy_1.wav
Unknown fish call_1.wav
Veronica Coppolaro (Specifically for this project)
bearded_seal_trills_Coppolaro merged.aif
beluga_mixed_Churchill_Coppolaro.wav
bearded_seal_trills_Coppolaro.aif
walrus_knocks_and_grunts_Coppolaro.wav
Via Discovery of Sound In The Sea (DOSITS)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Voices in the Sea (CC-BY-NC)
Dall_s_Porpoise-vimeo-227368429
Sonartech Inc (CC-BY-NC)
Torpedo-vimeo-227206938.aif
WhaleAcoustics, LLC (Released under Creative Commons License)
SURTASS_LFA_Sonar-vimeo-227206920
JASCO Applied Sciences CC-BY-NC)
Bubble_Curtain_Activation-vimeo-227368102
Thomas R. Kieckhefer (CC-BY-NC)
50_P_Outboard_Motor-vimeo-227198223
killer.whales.echolocation-vimeo-227083146
James Locascio and David Mann (CC-BY-NC)
Sand Seatrout.aif
Spotted Seatrout.aif
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (CC-BY-NC)
Crabeater Seal High Moan.aif
Crabeater Seal Low Moan.aif
Australian Antarctic Division (CC-BY-NC)
Weddell Seal 2aif
Weddell Seal 1.aif
Ari Daniel Shapiro & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) (CC-BY-NC)
Narwhal Signals and Whistles aif
Arthur Newhall & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) (CC-BY-NC)
Sei Whale Downsweep.aif
Jay Barlow & Shannon Rankin, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (CC-BY-NC)
Minke Whale "boing".aif
Via Freesound.org (CC-NC-BY)
Robinhood
76321100_robinhood76_05964-small-water-plops.wav
August Sandberg
677719_augustsandberg_breaking-icicles_1.wav
677719-augustsandberg-_breaking-icicles_2.wav
Glaneur-de-sons
29715__glaneur-de-sons__heart-beat.aif
Inspector J
400632__inspectorj__ambience-seaside-waves-close-a_1.wav
LGarrett
17143__lgarrett__lg-water3.wav
Kris Boruff
17752__krisboruff__rushing_water_no_traffic.wav
Javier Zumer
422663__javierzumer__hydrophone-underwater-stream-quiet.wavInmotion InMotionAudio
640497__inmotionaudio__watrplmb_hydrophoneshower_inmotionaudio_freesamplesunday.wav
Listening To Whales
329647__listeningtowhales__17-close-and-further-away.aiff
Felix Blume
408555__felixblume__amazonian-dolphins_1.wav
Gerald Feibig
385796__geraldfiebig__atlantic-spotted-dolphins-off-the-coast-of-la-gomera-canary-islands_1.wav
Aguasonic
52099__aguasonic__common_dolphins_isla_san_jose_16jan2002 (1).aif
Klankbeeld
663640__klankbeeld__river-shipping-1309-220816_0505.wav
259173__klankbeeld__water-sand-moving-001-140811_0365.wav
262437_klankbeeld__waves-buried-hydrophones-140810_0358.wav
262754__klankbeeld__water-sand-moving-003-140811_0365.wav
267245__klankbeeld__wave-hydrophone-001.wav
259217__klankbeeld__water-sand-moving-002-140811_0365.5.wav
257366__klankbeeld__sand-waves-along-hydrophones-140810_0358.wav
259217__klankbeeld__water-sand-moving-002-140811_0365.4_1.1.wav
259217__klankbeeld__water-sand-moving-002-140811_0365.4_1.4.wav
Mark Baumgartner, Robots4Whales & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
10_fin_whale_20160105_200930_v96_s24 (1)_2.wav
NOAA PMEL Acoustics Programme (Public Domain)
ak52_10x.wav
52 hz Whale Song Actual Speed ) short.wav
Cosmo Sheldrake - Los Cedros Bats
Vahakn Matossian - Srilanka Birds and Crickets 4 channel
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