Biology
English

Out of sight, a whistle travels far

Bubble loses sight of the pod in a murky bay but recognizes his mother’s signature whistle. He then sends quick clicks and listens to their echoes to find a wide passage. This upbeat children’s song introduces bottlenose dolphin contact whistles, echolocation, and attention-getting body movements.

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Song lyrics
What flashes through the turquoise murk? It’s Bubble, a young bottlenose dolphin He swims with Mother Wave and all the pod The swaying seagrass hides them from his sight Small silver bubbles sparkle by his snout Wave’s familiar whistle threads through the grass Bubble knows it’s hers and whistles back Out of sight, a whistle travels far It keeps the dolphins all in contact Each bottlenose has a special whistle Bubble knows his mother is nearby Dark rocks rise ahead of Bubble He sends quick clicks, then listens for echoes The nearby wall sends echoes back at once From farther rock, they reach him later Echolocation helps him find the wide gap Out of sight, a whistle travels far It keeps the dolphins all in contact Each bottlenose has a special whistle Bubble knows his mother is nearby Wave slaps the water with her tail The sudden splash catches the pod’s attention They turn and swim together through the arch Out of sight, a whistle travels far It keeps the dolphins all in contact Each bottlenose has a special whistle Bubble knows his mother is nearby Beyond the stone arch, they meet once more