In recordings only recently revealed the captive distinctive white whale has started to make unusual warbles that sound remarkably similar to a human voice.
In notes from a study recently released entitled ‘Spontaneous human speech mimcry by a cetacean’ the Beluga whale from the National Marine Mammal Foundation in San Diego, USA not only mimicked human voices but also made parrot-like noises copying “computer-generated whistles” and that “occasionally the calls would suggest a crowd of children shouting in the distance”
A diver at the Foundation mistakenly thought he heard someone telling him to leave the pool saying “Who told me to get out?”
Noc’s voice, which took on a much deeper tone than the normal high pitched whale vocals and clicks, was also trained to adjust pressure on his nasal cavities to make various sounds.
Listen to Noc’s unusual chatter which sounds a similar to someone have a right old moan whilst wearing a snorkel mask, in the video below, recorded in 1984. Noc sadly died 5 years ago.
Image: YouTube
