No one is sure where the name came from. Dear Jake, I am interested in whale communication and echolocation. Katie T, The Cottage School, Roswell, GA Good questions, Katie.
Whales use sound to communicate and echolocate.
When the sound hits something it echos or bounces back . The dolphin receives the echoed sounds through its lower jaw. The returning sounds are then interpreted by the brain. A dolphin can use echolocation to locate fish, rocks and other objects in the water. It is believed only certain toothed whales species are able to echolocate in this way.