Orca vocalizations typically are a fairly limited set of calls, usually comprised of a single rising and falling tone that is specific to each orca’s familial pod, with similar tones appearing in sequence, repeated between individuals in an apparent call-and-response behavior. These are accompanied by idiosyncratic whistles, grunts, and squawks. The meanings of each of these sounds is utterly unknown, since no one has ever been able to track wild orcas’ underwater behaviors in relation to the sounds they are making. Even among captive orcas, there has been nothing to indicate that these are in
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Orca vocalizations
