Scientists have described the phonetic alphabet of sperm whales for the first time

Scientists have for the first time described the “phonetic alphabet” of sperm whales, with the help of which they communicate with each other. For research noticed ABC News channel.

According to researchbeing highly social mammals, sperm whales communicate using a sequence of clicks – codes consisting of four components that can be combined indefinitely.

Scientists compare the language of sperm whales with human speech and Morse code, which also consists of sequences of sounds. Researchers don’t know what sperm whales talk about, but they have found that some codes convey information about the identity of the speaker.

Scientists also found that the codes depend on the context of the sperm whales’ conversation: certain codes are systematically reproduced in different whales.

Scientists hope that a better understanding of sperm whales will help in their conservation. They are now in the vulnerable category. Sperm whales have been hunted for centuries for their spermaceti and ambergris, which humans have used in industry and pharmaceuticals. The sperm whale population is still recovering. Today, the main threats to their lives and health are collisions with ships and ocean pollution.