Underwater Sound :::

The ocean is an amazing acoustic environment. Beneath its surface sound radiates and fluctuates. It curves itself to the geography of the ocean's floor, reverberating and fracturing off every surface.

When we enter this environment it quickly becomes apparent how much we are adapted for the terrestrial environment of air and light. Underwater our eyes are of little use in the darkness, our ears inefficient and any attempt at speaking causes our words to float away.

Although marine mammals possess identical sensory organs as ourselves - ears, eyes, nose (blowhole) - they have adapted elegantly to the demands of the sea, developing new levels of efficiency in perception and communication.

Before delving into these complex acoustic systems, we must first understand the difference between sound propagation in air and sound propagation through water.