Listen to the sweet tunes of the jazz singers of the deep. 

Humpback whales are known for their complex songs and melodies, but bowhead whales are the “jazz singers” of the baleen deep sea singers, according to oceanographer Kate Stafford. Over a three-year period, Stafford recorded bowhead whales in the Fram Strait in the Arctic singing 184 different melodies. The whales also altered their songs from year to year. Stafford talks about why these whales might have such a diverse songbook. Listen to the interview here.

Photo by Shutterstock