The beluga whales’ chirps, whistles and clicks were met with the melody of orchestral music on a crisp spring morning. Chicago Sinfonietta joined Shedd Aquarium for a musical collaboration to highlight the ancient and enduring connection between music and nature.
Often called the canaries of the sea, beluga whales can produce an array of vocalizations. It was these distinct, expressive noises that sparked the Chicago Sinfonietta’s visit.
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Caroline Slack, violin; Edith Yokely, violin; Ann Griffin, cello; Seth Pae, viola.
This connection between sound and the natural world is reflected in the name of Shedd’s youngest beluga, Opus. The word “opus” means a musical composition or set of compositions. The name, chosen by Shedd members, also honors his father who has an equally musical name — Beethoven — and the vocal nature of belugas. As the youngest beluga, Opus continues to reach new milestones like meeting other whales in the pod, eating solid fish and practicing his whistles and squeaks.
Shedd’s Animal Care Team takes great care in providing tailored mental and physical enrichment for every animal. New sights and sounds encourage an animal to interact with its surroundings. Experiences like these provide stimulating enrichment and are an important component of an animal’s wellbeing.
Beluga Vocalizations
Unlike humans, belugas don’t have vocal cords. Instead, they push air through nasal passages near their blowholes to create a range of noises including trills, clucks, whistles and more. Each sound serves a distinct purpose, whether it be socialization and communication between belugas, navigation or detecting prey.
Belugas can change the shape of their melon, the squishy tissue on their foreheads, to help produce and direct sounds for echolocation to navigate underwater. Echolocation is a tool that animals like bats and dolphins use to “see” what’s around them. Sound waves bounce off objects like rocks nearby and then echo back to the animal, helping them pinpoint exactly where things are in their environment.
Shedd Aquarium/Rachel Mittelstaedt
Music Meets Marine Life
The bellows of whales, the roar of sea lions, the snapping of shrimp claws, the rush of waves and more make a perfect cacophony of sounds below the water’s surface.
Just as belugas communicate through vocalizations, Chicago Sinfonietta told a story through sound as they played pieces like Baby Beluga and works from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6. Though these pieces span centuries, the music remains the same. Passing them down through generations of musicians and audiences helps keep their stories alive. Sheet music preserves more than a melody; it carries the history and culture of its time. By making symphonic music accessible for audiences through a pay-what-you-can program, Chicago Sinfonietta is conserving this art for future generations.
Conservation at Shedd
Music and nature invite us to listen, explore and appreciate life in a whole new way. Just as each musician and every note in a symphony has a purpose, each animal plays an important role in the ecosystem that we must protect. Shedd works to protect belugas and advocates for legislation that combats the growing list of threats to aquatic life.
The ability to observe and work with the belugas has allowed Shedd experts to better understand and protect beluga whales everywhere, including threatened populations in the Cook Inlet in Alaska.
By visiting Shedd, becoming a member or donating, you directly support global conservation efforts to protect threatened and endangered species. On your next visit, know your support is making a difference in the future of conservation and building a brighter future for generations to come.
This collaboration emphasizes that music is more than sound, it helps us explore nature, bridges generations and allows us to connect on a deeper level. Discover the natural playlist, the chirps, buzzes and songs the world has to offer, on your next visit to Shedd, Chicago Sinfonietta or in your own backyard.