In the Company of Humpbacks S1:1
Humpback whale’s tail rises from the ocean in a sweeping arc sending a burst of spray into the air as a flock of seabirds circles overhead. Photo by James Lee.
In the first episode of For The Wild’s In the Company of Humpbacks, we hear from Joe Olson and Dr. Fred Sharpe about their approaches to analyzing whale sound. When we desire to understand whales, what more than human impulse are we activating? Immersing the listener in a world of exploration and investigation, this episode leaves us with the spirit of questioning and a hope for deeper relationality in our pursuit of understanding.
“If we could get a better appreciation of the meaning and function of these sounds, we might be able to ask them where it hurts.”
This series begins with a simple impulse: the desire to understand. Joe and Fred guide us deep into the technical world of humpback thrums and aerial whale sounds. They give us the vocabulary and the listening tools that will carry us through the rest of the series. Along the way, we explore questions like, what is whale communication and how do these thrums travel across the ocean? And, what might careful listening teach us about connection with the more-than-human world?
Credits
We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our partners Alaska Whale Foundation, Five Fingers Lighthouse, and the American Cetacean Society. For The Wild is created by Ayana Young, Victoria Pham, Erica Ekrem, Julia Jackson, and Aurie Bittle. Sounds and images collected under NOAA/NMFS Research Permit 26663.
Biographies
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Fred has been studying the foraging ecology of humpback whales in SE Alaska since 1987. He received his Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University and is currently collaborating with the Cetacean Institute on the study of the humpback’s aerial sounds. Fred’s interest in conservation biology has led him to follow the whales south to their Hawaiian wintering to document their historical ecology and legacy impacts from commercial whaling. He has been awarded the Fairfield Award for Innovative Marine Mammal Research and the Society for Marine Mammology’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Communication. Fred volunteers with NOAA as a large whale entanglement responder. He is a naturalist in the classical tradition and enjoys botanizing and preserving native oaks grasslands. During his botany undergraduate days (University of Washington) he co-authored and illustrated Wild Plants of the San Juan Islands. After graduation, he continued his work in the archipelago and co-authored and illustrated Birding in the San Juan Islands.
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Joe's love of cetaceans began when he was three years old and his grandfather routinely took him to visit Namu the killer whale at the Seattle Marine Aquarium. His concern for the general wellbeing of cetaceans started in fourth grade while writing a report about blue whales being on the verge of extinction. After receiving a degree in Physics and working as a Research Engineer and Research Physicist for several years, Joe started the hydrophone design and manufacturing company named Cetacean Research Technology in 1994. In 1999, Joe founded the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society (ACS) and is currently serving as the chapter president. Since selling Cetacean Research Technology at the end of 2022, Joe has been delighted to direct much more of his energy toward ecosystem protection and restoration issues with ACS and toward interesting cetacean research projects with colleagues and former hydrophone customers. When not volunteering on such projects or attending astrobiology colloquia at the University of Washington, Joe provides underwater and bioacoustics consultation through his company, Cetacean Communication, and he also works part time for the environmental consulting company, Landau Associates.
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Ayana and her daughter spend their days exploring the wilderness of Coastal Alaska (US) while strategizing ways to halt large-scale industrial projects within wild salmon habitat. She is the co-founder and host of For The Wild, an independent slow media project and podcast devoted to land-based protection, co-liberation, and the tender work of remembering our place within the living world. Through over a decade of intimate dialogue with visionaries, knowledge keepers, and artists, Ayana brings forth stories that awaken reverence, ignite resistance, and dream toward a future shaped by reciprocity and collective care. Her work is rooted in devotion; to the Earth, to truth telling, and to the quiet transformation that comes from listening deeply.
Learn More
Learn more and support this work at thrums.org.
Fred and colleagues will be presenting on baleen whale aerial sounds at the AstroBioloy Science Conference in Madison, WI in May 2026.
Publication: Sharpe, Frediani et al 2025. “Humpback Whales Blow Toroidal Vortex Bubble Rings.”
Behind-the-Scenes Extras
By joining us on Patreon, you get early access to episodes, reflection prompts, a bonus episode, and behind the scenes content. Patreon membership also gives you access to our zines, archives of extended episodes, and more. Join us at patreon.com/forthewild.
SLOW MEDIA ZINE
Launching in April
Water and Whales: Thrums of Understanding
Listen to the series…
