LISTEN: NOC, the Whale Who Could Mimic Humans

For the first time, researchers have shown that a whale can mimic human speech, with a kazoo-like, slightly unhinged call that you can listen to above.

The special whale in question, NOC, was a beluga who lived at the National Marine Mammal Foundation in California. In 1984, workers noticed bizarre, human-like sounds coming from an enclosure. Eventually, they traced them back to the NOC when a startled man working in his tank leapt out and asked, "Who told me to get out?"

NOC did, researchers concluded. Acoustic analysis later showed sounds much different than the ones whales typically make, with low frequencies closer to human speech. NOC apparently used elaborate nasal and muscle movements to mimic his captors.

Dolphins have previously been shown to have a similar ability, but NOC, who died five years ago, is the first whale. Though given their reputation as "canaries of the sea" and their fondness for Mariachi bands, perhaps it isn't surprising that a beluga would also one day try to speak.

[autumnmoon]

Lol, when the whale tells you to get out of his tank, you get the hell out of his tank...

[JLHunter]

Everyone has heard the by now apocryphal tale of NoC (no see) the beluga whale saying: "Get out!" to a diver who was in his enclosure repairing it. However, it isn't true. What NoC really said was the simple word "Out!" in a curiously octave-specific (and correct!) pitch that was in the range of human communications, and not in a Beluga's natural "vocal" range which is generally much higher pitched.

He had learned all by himself--by listening to sounds being broadcast underwater via hydrophones and "wet phones" that the divers used to communicate with their supervisors, who were not in the water with them--to say: "Out!" to the diver (a man named Miles whom NoC really liked) which the supervisors would say when a diver had reached his time limit, or the supervisors thought that the job was done to their satisfaction at the time.

For the incident in question, NoC shouted: "Out!" to Miles, his friend, in an effort to communicate and to get Miles' attention. It worked! A puzzled Miles exited the enclosure and asked his supervisors why they had ordered him out of the tank early, before the job was completed. There was confusion all around as Miles thought they were screwing with him for a laugh, and the supervisors thought that Miles must be hearing things. It took a while--even with the fact that the trainers had heard "human voices" emanating from the direction of the tanks for quite a while by then--for them to figure out that it was NoC who had shouted the command at what **HE** thought was the appropriate time. Not bad for a self-taught whale!

[jokai]

Am I the only one who couldn't hear the "get out"?

[ayngemac]

Actually, it's pronounced "no - see" not "nock."  I just read the article in Smithsonian.

[mdfield]

The whale's name NoC is actually pronounced No-See. He was named after the tiny flies that bite you called No-See-Ums. I just read an article, about the entire project, in the June, 2014 Smithsonian magazine. The article is titled Voice Deep. VERY interesting.

[brandonutgaming]

when you learn a language for 10 years just to tell someone to go away:
*stonks*

[laurelcook]

lol imagine a whale telling you to get out!

[tidepodpadthai]

Beluga whales are one of my favorite animals, and I have no idea if this makes me like them more or less

[icetheirken]

0:43 "Nock apparently used elaborate nasal and muscle movements to mimic his *captors."*

[sgreen]

RIP Noc! nearly 30 years ago and now they mentioning it !

[benharyo]

Sounds like someone saying "Oy, oy, oy oy!" in Yiddish..

[Maximillion]

0:13 So NOC basically  sounded like a first generation  Cyberman  from Dr Who . I'm not sure if i should be excited by this or scared that Whales are trying to take over Earth   o__0

[peidotimido]

Whale: *oOoOoOoOoOaAaAh*

Scientist: omg🥸

[itsplayeroneaxelgamerschan]

Noc: I'm a Kazoo worker
Kazoo kid: Your hired

[noone-mogy]

To quote a post on social media regarding this topic, "Imagine an animal learning how to speak your language just so it can tell you to fuck off".

[corruptedplayer]

just imagine you are doing your job at night and then you hear "get out". i'd shit myself

[swishercutterx]

Imagine that an animal learns how to speak just to tell you to fuck off

[soundblast]

Translation : DORAROARALURRILUYRULORROLIURR

[christinescott]

i read about Noc in a book im reading and curiosity wouldnt let me not look him up

[Mirandorl]

"Get out" was infamously the phrase spoken by the entity in the Amityville hauntings before it ... moved on. Just sayin'. Sleep well.