Dolphin and Whale Communication, Intelligence, and Language

When researchers set out to study elephants, many begin with the cetaceans. Dolphins and whales possess some of the most complex minds in the animal kingdom (next to elephants), and modern research on dolphin and whale communication, intelligence, and language continues to reveal how remarkable their communication abilities truly are.

Home » Elephant Mountain Book Bibliography and Research Sources » Dolphin and Whale Communication
Dolphins and Whales Brain Science and Language

Ocean Souls

Watch this full-length PBS documentary that dives into the lives of cetaceans…whales, dolphins, and their kin. Ocean Souls beautifully illustrates the intelligence, emotion, and deep social bonds that unfold beneath the waves.

Secrets of the Whales

In this documentary series on Disney+/National Geographic, produced by James Cameron, learn more about the astonishing intelligence of whales—shedding light on their communities, behaviors, and mysteries of life beneath the sea.

Fathom

Following two scientists on opposite sides of the world, this documentary explores the mystery of humpback whale communication, blending field research, curiosity, and the profound quest to understand the meaning behind their haunting songs. This film is currently available to stream on AppleTV+.

Additional Sources for Dolphins and Whales

Explore additional sources on dolphin and whale communication, intelligence, and language that informed the research behind the book Elephant Mountain.

  1. AppleTV. “Fathom – Official Trailer | Apple TV+” YouTube video, 2:36. April 22, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Mmnk0LZLU
  2. Armstrong, Brian, and Andy Mitchell, directors, writers, and creators. Secrets of the Whales. Produced by James Cameron. Narrated by Sigourney Weaver. National Geographic. Disney+. April 22, 2021.
  3. Deecke, V. B., J.K.B. Ford, and P. Spong. “Dialect Change in Resident Killer Whales: Implications for Vocal Learning and Cultural Transmision.” Animal Behaviour 60 (April 4, 2000): 629-638.
  4. Ford, John K.B. “Vocal Traditions Among Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Coastal Waters of British Columbia.” Canadian Journal of Zoology (June 1991): 1454-1483.
  5. Herman, Louis M. “Can Dolphins Understand Sentences?” JSTOR, ResearchGate (January 2009): 3-20.
  6. Hamilton, Philip, director and producer. Ocean Souls. Produced by Scott Wilson. Narrated by Flora Clark. Journeyman Pictures, May 16, 2020. https://www.journeyman.tv/film/8669
  7. Iacoboni, Marco. “Imitation, Empathy, and Mirror Neurons.” Annual Review of Psychology 60 (January 2009): 653-670.
  8. MacDonald, James. “The Cultural Differences in Humpback Whale Songs.” JSTOR Daily, October 3, 2019. https://daily.jstor.org/cultural-differences-humpback-whale-songs/
  9. McDonald, Mark A., Sarah L. Mesnick, and John A. Hildebrand. “Biogeographic Characterisation of Blue Whale Song Worldwide: Using Song to Identify Populations.” Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 8 (July 2005): 55-65.
  10. Miller, Patrick J.O., and David E. Bain. “Within-Pod Variation in the Sound Production of a Pod of Killer Whales, Orcinus orca.” Animal Behavior 60, Issue 5 (December 2000): 617-628.
  11. Miller, Patrick James O’Malley. “Maintaining Contact: Design and Use of Acoustic Signals in Killer Whales, Orcinus Orca.” PhD diss., Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2000. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA384341.pdf
  12. Mustill, Tom. How to Speak Whale: A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2022.
  13. National Geographic. “Secrets of the Whales | Official Trailer | Disney+” YouTube video, 0:59. March 10, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOySOlB78dM
  14. Payne, Katy. Silent Thunder. New York: Penguin Publishing Group, 1999.
  15. Payne, Katy, and Roger Payne, producers. Songs of the Humpback Whale. CRM Records, 1979.
  16. Prochazkova, Eliska, and Mariska E. Kret. “Connecting Minds and Sharing Emotions Through Mimicry: A Neurocognitive Model of Emotional Contagion.” Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews 80 (2017): 99-114.
  17. Stromberg, Joseph. “Dolphins Can Remember Their Friends After Twenty Years Apart.” Smithsonian Magazine, August 6, 2013. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dolphins-can-remember-their-friends-after-twenty-years-apart-24490888/?itm_source=related-content&itm_medium=parsely-api
  18. Stromberg, Joseph. “Do Dolphins Use Whistles to Call Themselves by Unique Name?” Smithsonian Magazine, July 22, 2013. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/do-dolphins-use-whistles-to-call-themselves-by-unique-names-16005708/?itm_source=related-content&itm_medium=parsely-api
  19. Xanthopoulos, Drew, director. Fathom. Produced by Megan Gilbride. Starring Dr. Michelle Fournet and Dr. Ellen Garland. AppleTV, June 25, 2021. https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/fathom/umc.cmc.5dba56sgwst50iuh5h9uqpdsq
  20. YouTube Movies and TV. Ocean Souls. Directed and produced by Philip Hamilton. Produced by Scott Wilson. Narrated by Flora Clark. YouTube film, 57:46. (2020). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfSE51HVWbA
  21. Zandberg, L., Lachlan RF, Lamoni L., and Garland EC. “Global Cultural Evolutionary Model of Humpback Whale Song.” The Royal Society Publishing Journal, (May 29, 2021): 1-12.