Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have identified what may be the earliest preserved recording of a humpback whale, captured on March 7, 1949, near Bermuda using a Gray Audograph disc. The discovery, revealed in February 2026, offers a rare glimpse into ocean acoustics from the late 1940s and highlights the evolution of underwater sound monitoring technology.
The 1949 recording was discovered in WHOI’s archival collections, where it had remained untouched for decades. It was captured during acoustic experiments conducted by researchers aboard the R/V Atlantis, who were testing sonar systems for the U.S. Office of Naval Research. The sounds, initially unidentifiable, were recorded on a fragile audograph disc—a device that etched audio onto thin plastic discs rather than magnetic tape. Unlike most recordings from the era, which were lost to degradation, these discs survived due to their material and careful preservation, according to Ashley Jester, director of research data and library services at WHOI.
A Rare Window into the Past
The recording, which features a humpback whale’s song, predates the widespread understanding of whale vocalizations by 15 years. In 1964, Navy engineer Frank Watlington recorded humpbacks off Bermuda, a discovery that later inspired the album Songs of the Humpback Whale. However, the 1949 disc was made before scientists recognized humpback songs as structured, repetitive patterns. Data from this time period simply don’t exist in most cases,
said Laela Sayigh, a marine bioacoustician and senior research specialist at WHOI. This recording can provide insight into how humpback whale sounds have changed over time, as well as serving as a baseline for measuring how human activity shapes the ocean soundscape.
The digitization of the collection was funded by a $10,000 award from the National Recording Preservation Foundation. Of the more than 200 audograph discs in WHOI’s archives, only a handful have been listened to so far. These audograph discs survived because of their material and careful preservation,
Jester said. WHOI’s audograph collection reflects a chain of close observation and curiosity—first by the scientists and engineers who recorded underwater sounds they couldn’t explain, and now by the librarians, archivists, and audio preservation experts who were determined to keep digging.
From Experimental Gear to Modern Monitoring
The 1949 recording was made using the WHOI “suitcase,” an early experimental underwater acoustic system. This device, paired with a Gray Audograph, allowed researchers to capture sounds from below the ocean surface. Modern ocean monitoring relies on passive acoustic buoys, Slocum gliders, and autonomous hydrophones, which generate vast datasets to study marine life and human impacts on the ocean. WHOI-led Robots4Whales program uses Digital Acoustic Monitoring Instruments (DMONs) to detect whales in real-time, analyzing sound frequencies to classify calls and report findings via satellite.
Why the 1949 Recording Matters
The 1949 disc is significant not only for its age but also for what it reveals about early oceanographic practices. Researchers at the time had no framework to interpret the sounds they captured. To them it was noise worth keeping, not song worth studying, because the idea of humpback song as a thing to study did not yet exist.
The recording’s value lies in its ability to fill a gap in historical acoustic data. The ocean is much louder now, with increases in both number and types of sound sources,
Sayigh said. This recording can provide insight into how humpback whale sounds have changed over time, as well as serving as a baseline for measuring how human activity shapes the ocean soundscape.
WHOI has partnered with Ocean Alliance, which maintains an archive of over 2,400 whale and ocean sound recordings from the 1950s through the 1990s. However, the 1940s remain close to silent in the record. The 1949 disc, while not definitively the “oldest” due to the possibility of unlisted recordings in other collections, is a critical piece of evidence.
The discovery underscores the importance of preserving historical data, even when its significance is not immediately apparent. WHOI’s work with the audograph collection highlights how past scientific efforts, though limited by technology, can yield insights decades later. These audograph discs survived because of their material and careful preservation.
As technology advances, the 1949 recording stands as a testament to the enduring curiosity of scientists and the unexpected ways in which the past can inform the future.