In tune with the whales

Thousand Mile Song Whale Music in a Sea of Sound. By David Rothenburg, Basic Books; £10.99

WHY do whales sing? There are many theories but nobody knows, which is a pity, because it’s an important question. It’s not important to whales; they know why they sing. But it could teach us why we like music.

Thousand Mile Song tackles this question, and it’s an unusual book by an unusual man. David Rothenberg is not a biologist. He is the professor of philosophy and music at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and an accomplished jazz musician and clarinetist. Although he’s not a biologist, he approaches whale ‘song’ with academic rigour.