THE WHALE ARIA Produced by Nardine Groch
Whales have the ability to compose and perform their own music. In the early 1970s this discovery in humpback whales changed attitudes towards the whole species, and forged a movement that's helped save them from extinction.
Classical singer Nardine Groch listens to whale arias, and speaks to pioneering marine biologist Dr Roger Payne, who wrote the first scientific paper on whalesong. Using her own singing voice, she explores the human relationship to song, and its many secrets.
The whale aria was produced as the final research project for Nardine’s double Masters in Journalism/Environmental Sustainability at Monash University.