Blue whale singing patterns predict migration, study finds

As species embarks on annual journey to warmer waters, their singing becomes less nocturnal, writes Harry Cockburn

The blue whale is the largest animal to have ever lived and has one of the world's loudest calls (Getty)

In the immense vastness of the ocean, sound is everything for whales - allowing them to communicate over titanic distances, and in some species, target food through echolocation.

So it is no surprise the largest animal on Earth - the blue whale - is also among the loudest.

Blue whales emit an extraordinary array of different sounds, from bone-shaking bass blasts, to burbling electric synthesiser-style pitch swoops.