10/02/2026
Every orca family has its own way of speaking.
Listen closely enough to orcas, and you'll realize they're not all speaking the same language.
Researchers at Simon Fraser University just released an open-access catalogue of killer whale calls, decades of recordings organized for the first time into a searchable field guide. With it, scientists can now identify an orca's population, clan, and even specific family pod just by its vocalizations.
One researcher compared the difference between clan dialects to comparing Mandarin and Swahili, completely distinct, despite living in the same waters.
Now, researchers hope these underwater voices can help track migration, protect critical habitat, and reveal how ocean noise affects these animals. ๐๐๏ธ