Scientists identify unique mechanism responsible for whale song. A study published Wednesday describes for the first time the unique system, located in the larynx, by which whales sing.
A mechanism that would allow them to emit two different sounds in the same way has never been identified. These strange sounds have fascinated travelers for a long time. The first sailors attributed them to mythical creatures or to "the imagination of drunken sailors" It was only with access to sounds recorded by military hydrophones that researchers understood these songs were produced by whales.