You are listening to a recording from Whale Channel, off the northern coast of B.C., near King Pacific Lodge. It comes to us from Janie Wray and Hermann Meuter of Cetacea Lab (www.forwhales.org), an independent research station perched on stilts at the southern end of Gil Island.

The music, Wray says, is a mystery. In any given area, all male whales will sing nearly identical versions of the song, but the melody will transform and evolve over the seasons.

 “It is unclear why the same song evolves each year, or who initiates the changes. Why are some changes accepted while others ignored?” said Wray.  “But, for now, the song is a mystery that scientists are trying to unravel, note by note.”