 Whale vocalization is likely to serve several purposes . Some species , such as the humpback whale , communicate using melodic sounds , known as whale song . These sounds may be extremely loud , depending on the species . Humpback whales only have been heard making clicks , while toothed whales use sonar that may generate up to 20 @,@ 000 watts of sound ( + 73 dBm or + 43 dBw ) and be heard for many miles . 
