Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
scienceApr 15, 202614:15failed

When a dolphin whistles, what does it mean?

Science Friday

Get every episode summarized

Each time Science Friday publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

About this episode

What are dolphins actually saying with their iconic, high-pitched whistles? Dolphin communication researcher Laela Sayigh is trying to find out. She’s been compiling a database of whistles from a pod of dolphins in Sarasota, Florida, the longest-studied group of cetaceans in the world. 

She joins Flora to discuss fundamental questions about dolphin dialects, including how dolphins’ “signature” whistles can change depending on context, and the process of decoding new types of whistles. 

Guest: 

Dr. Laela Sayigh is a senior research specialist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.

Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hosts & guests

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

When a dolphin whistles, what does it mean?

Science Friday

0:00
14:15

More episodes

More from Science Friday

View all episodes →