Sound travels slightly faster in warmer water. The noise about noise Whales sing low and loud. Their sounds travel thousands of miles. Blue whales off Newfoundland can be heard in Puerto Rico, said Dr. Christopher W. Clark, a principal investigator of both ATOC and LFA's mammal research. Not by humans, whose ears are made for air and who rely more on vision anyway, but by sonar detectors, and presumably by whales.
Whales depend on hearing the way humans depend on sight.
They use their sonar to find food, detect enemies, attract mates and know where their children are. Scientists say low-frequency sonar, if loud enough, has the potential to drown out the whales so they can't hear what they need to. Whales listening intently for the quiet swish of a school of fish may go hungry. It could do other damage, too. Very loud sounds can rip ear, lung and other vibrating tissues.