Abstract:

A dataset of killer whale female (mother), juvenile, and calf vocalizations was collected with a hydrophone array in Johnstone Strait in the summers of 2006 and 2007. The vocalizations were spatially and temporally localized together with behavioral observations. The analysis is focused on pulsed call production variation when a mother is with her juvenile(s) and∕or calf and when she is separated from one or more of them. Analysis is centered on the frequency-time structure of the vocalizations. This circumstance provides a unique opportunity to gain insight into the communication between individuals within a common social subset of a matriline or pod. This subset is characteristically tighter in association than many other intramatrilineal groups and can offer a glimpse into early vocal exchange and development.