Echolocation - Whale Glossary

Advertisement.

EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site.
As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages.
Click here to learn more.

(Already a member? Click here.)

EnchantedLearning.com
ALL ABOUT WHALES!

What is a Whale?

Whale Information Sheets

Anatomy and Behavior

Extreme Whales

Whale Myths

Whale Evolution

Whale Classification

Whale Glossary

Whale Activities

Whale Index

Whale Glossary

U-Z

Echolocation

Toothed whales use echolocation to sense objects. In echolocation, a high-pitched sound (usually clicks) is sent out by the whale. The sound bounces off the object and some returns to the whale. The whale interprets this returning echo to determine the object's shape, direction, distance, and texture. Bats and some other marine mammals also use echolocation.

A toothed whale's echolocation starts with a series of low-frequency clicks (called a train) produced by the animal. This train passes through the melon of the whale (a fat-filled organ in the head of the toothed whale that focuses the sound wave). The train of clicks is focused into a beam that bounces off objects and reflects (echoes) back to the whale.

The echoed sound waves are received in the fat-filled cavities of the lower jaw-bone. These sounds are conducted through the bone to the ear and the brain, where the location of the object is interpreted. The whale can determine the distance to an object, its size, shape, the speed that the object is travelling, and its texture.

Enchanted Learning^®
Over 35,000 Web Pages
Sample Pages for Prospective Subscribers, or click below

Overview of Site
What's New
Enchanted Learning Home
Monthly Activity Calendar
Books to Print
Site Index

K-3
Crafts
K-3 Themes
Little Explorers
Picture dictionary
PreK/K Activities
Rebus Rhymes
Stories

Writing
Cloze Activities
Essay Topics
Newspaper
Writing Activities
Parts of Speech

Fiction
The Test of Time

Biology
Animal Printouts
Biology Label Printouts
Biomes
Birds
Butterflies
Dinosaurs
Food Chain
Human Anatomy
Mammals
Plants
Rainforests
Sharks
Whales

Physical Sciences: K-12
Astronomy
The Earth
Geology
Hurricanes
Landforms
Oceans
Tsunami
Volcano

Languages
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Japanese (Romaji)
Portuguese
Spanish
Swedish

Geography/History
Explorers
Flags
Geography
Inventors
US History

Other Topics
Art and Artists
Calendars
College Finder
Crafts
Graphic Organizers
Label Me! Printouts
Math
Music
Word Wheels

Click to read our Privacy Policy

E-mail

Enchanted Learning Search

Search the Enchanted Learning website for:

Advertisement.

Advertisement.