Humpback whale masked hearing thresholds in noise measured with modified behavioral observation audiometry

Audiograms are available for multiple species of odontocetes (toothed whales). However, there are no empirically measured audiograms for any mysticete (baleen whale) meaning their hearing sensitivity is inferred. Here, we present a masked hearing curve for the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) measured in natural ocean noise. We used a series of experiments to test responses to frequencies ranging from 0.25 to 16 kHz. Across multiple, independent trials, the mean of two lowest response received levels at each test frequency were used to calculate the minimum response level (MRL) for that frequency. Results show that the frequency range of humpback whales best hearing overlaps with anatomical predictions of their best hearing range, but their upper frequency limit of hearing is likely higher than expected. Response signal-to-noise ratios derived from the MRLs were close to frequency-dependent critical ratios (CR) observed in odontocetes, phocids, and otariids, suggesting the study measured close to masked thresholds in humpback whales.