The picture Below is the cross section of a whale's head. The sound a whale produces starts at the phonic Lips, that like a humans larynx, makes sound by vibrating in air. This sound makes it out of a whales head and into the water medium by passing through the whales melon shown as a big fatty lump between the whales blow hole and their nose. The purpose of the melon is to minimise the losses as the sound moves from the phonic lips (in air) out to the ocean (the water). The whale also uses its melon to change the direction. The sound move away from its head in the same way that a human cups there hands to better direct their hands to a far away listener. The whale varies the shape of the melon using air sacs that make up the shape of the melon.

Toothed whales use echolocation to …show more content…
Sonar stands for Sound Navigation and Ranging. Toothed whales use sonar instead of light waves because sound waves travels much faster underwater than light does and sound goes much deeper. Whales use echolocation to allow them to hunt, locate and find specific objects at depths where no light penetrates. Light waves don't have much of a purpose for toothed whales because they rely on echolocation and sonar for everything they do. Toothed whales dive so deep underwater that light is non existent.

High frequencies can be used to create a clearer use of echolocation at close range of the frequency emitter This can be shown when listening to bass heavy music. You will feel and hear the bass first when your further away than when your close. The high frequency will paint a better picture of the close range sound. With echolocation, high frequencies close range use, you should see all every close obstacles very clearly. High frequency are more directional than low frequencies. This way high frequencies paint a better image because the frequencies are less able to disperse (refract) high frequencies are less inclined to do