whale sounds?

[Hunt Stoddard]

I live in Keaukaha, past the port and about three or four hundred feet from the ocean. I now realize that for a few years around this time I've been hearing this weird sound, like someone blowing into a didgeridoo but not knowing how to play it, and I'm wondering if this is the whales? It's a really odd, high pitched sound, usually late at night, like someone running a ruler rapidly back and forth on a cloth sheet.

[Kelena]

I'm no marine biologist, but I think those are whales. We get them off of Kaloli Point and this year, in contrast to last year, they have been really noisy. I think you described their sound better than I can. It is a very loud sound, as I can hear it at 400 feet from the cliff, plus however far out they are. They groan loudly and then slap their tails on the water. For me it always calls to mind the film (is that a dated word now that films are digital?) Jurassic Park. I think I read somewhere that they mixed certain animal noises together to create the sound for the dinosaurs and that the whale was among them. I keep trying to capture that noise for a mainland friend but I go running to the cliff and all is silent, except for some muffled guffaws along with some tittering from their mermaid friends. As soon as I reach the door of the house, they call again. If I ever begin to understand what they are saying, I am moving back to the mainland.

[dayna]

Or is it toads? I hear a weird type of sound up here in OrchidLand and was told it's the buffo toads. Could be different sounds but I also equated it to a didgeridoo kinda sound.

Dayna

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[Frankie Stapleton]

The high-pitched sound is whales, sometimes w/their babies. You probably also can hear a kinda gruff sound and them blowing air thru their blowhole. Don't really get the ruler running back and forth on a cloth sheet....maybe something to do w/the underwater topography where you are.
U neva realize what it was in all this time?...that's funny! I feel blessed when I stay someplace that I can hear them in the night. Lucky you ;D

[missydog1]

I hear the tail slapping really loud at night from my house. I did not know what caused it for a long time, until someone told me. I thought it was waves breaking on the pali (we hear that too).

I will listen now that for the ruler sound. I might be too far from the ocean to get that. (IÔm about a quarter mile, but sounds carry really well at night.)

There is a link where you can listen to the whale sounds underwater near Puako. (I would post if I had it handy, but I donÔt. Someone else might.)

[missydog1]

OK, the link was easy to find, from the Jupiter Foundation.
There is LIVE whale song right now, from the other side of the island.
http://www.jupiterfoundation.org/

It does not start until you press Play.

[Hunt Stoddard]

Actually I think I'm hearing the tail slapping right now (12 midnight). Sounds like someone opening and shutting a car trunk over and over off in the distance.

The toad sounds where another one that threw me for a couple years. I eventually figured out it was toads, not an alien invasion.

[HPPGuy]

You might also be hear the male doves courting the females. They make this low didgeridoo type sound too, of course they most likely wouldn't be coming from the ocean. Sound carries weird here though, so maybe!