What is the famous learned song pattern of a male humpback whale called?

The famous learned vocal sequence produced by a male humpback whale is called whale song.

Humpback whale song consists of repeated sounds arranged into phrases, themes, and larger cycles. Males commonly sing in breeding areas, and neighboring males can share broad song patterns. The song changes over time, so a population’s version may gradually evolve from one season to the next.

The term “whale song” is often used generally, but humpback whales provide its best-known example. Their songs can include low moans, cries, grunts, and higher-frequency sounds. Other baleen whales also vocalize, yet their calls are not usually organized into the same elaborate, culturally transmitted sequences.

Scientists do not treat the song as a human-like language with a confirmed word-for-word translation. Its exact role is still studied, although courtship and competition among males are central explanations. Humpback whales also communicate through body movement, breaching, and slapping the water.