Scientists Discover a 'Phonetic Alphabet' Used by Sperm Whales, Moving One Step Closer to Decoding Their Chatter

Sperm whales are highly social creatures that roam the world's oceans together, diving deep in search of giant squid, their favorite food.

As they swim and hunt, these massive marine mammals communicate by making a series of rapid clicks that sound like a combination of "Morse code and popcorn popping," writes NPR's Lauren Sommer.

Now, with help from artificial intelligence, scientists are starting to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the sperm whale communication system. They found a plethora of sounds they've termed a "sperm whale phonetic alphabet," raising the possibility that the mammals have their own language, just like humans.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-phonetic-alphabet-used-by-sperm-whales-moving-one-step-closer-to-decoding-their-chatter-180984326/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&spMailingID=49794206&spUserID=NTkyNzY2ODg1MzgyS0&spJobID=2702945863&spReportId=MjcwMjk0NTg2MwS2