Favourite Whale Song albums?

<3

New Songs Of The Humpback Whale - http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec433

So many updates in recording technology, digital recorders, full frequency hydrophones, and most importantly, noise reduction software that let people surgically minimize underwater background / ambient noise, a record like this was overdue, but I was completely unprepared for how ASTONISHING the first fifteen seconds of this sounded ripping out of my speakers -- these are not echoey distant lullabies, these whales are five feet from you and the number of high-frequency details are unprecedented. The noise reduction has actually been pushed to such an extent that this album is basically one of pure sonic illusion, even more so than the remarkable Lang Elliot albums -- it is simply not possible for anyone to be this close to a whale that is this isolated. But it falls on the side of art rather than anything clinical, it only helps you listen to the voices in question that much more closely

Important is a good label for this, they had that whalesong remix album a few years back: http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec098

MP, thanks for that rundown from 6 months ago.

I've had the 1st Roger Payne CD for a couple decades, and recall first hearing its first track on a flexidisc in an issue of National Geographic in 1979. Oh look, 8 year old me can relive the experience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WOjJIynHgM

I remember reading somewhere that, likely due to increased manmade noise, humpback whale songs were slowly losing the complexity that they had in the 60s, and was greatly saddened.

Since there's a precedent for other marine mammals, I think everyone should know about the Weddell seal recording on Douglas Quin's Antarctica (1998):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKXKHXNxz24

Oops, just noticed the Douglas Quin nod in your list...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C14dcjtL0Oc

xpost linking to the weddells is never something to apologize for. you've heard this, right? right up next to one: https://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/123436

there are a few threads on nature recordings in general but they never really take off, no one likes music 'round here