A coda is the name of the coordinated clicking pattern used by sperm whales.
Sperm whales produce powerful echolocation clicks, but they also arrange clicks into patterned sequences used in social communication. These sequences are called codas. A coda may contain a characteristic number of clicks and rhythm, and different whale groups can show distinctive vocal traditions.
Codas are especially associated with interactions among sperm whales. Researchers have identified repeated patterns that function somewhat like group dialects, although scientists avoid treating them as direct translations of human words. The patterns can help whales maintain social bonds and identify members of related groups.
Sperm whales are also remarkable echolocators. Their clicks are generated in the nasal passages and focused by specialized structures in the forehead. Thus, not every sperm-whale click heard by researchers is a social coda; some are part of navigation and prey detection.