New research using animal-borne tags finds that male humpback whales coordinate their singing with their dive behavior. The study focuses on the long, complex songs produced by male humpbacks, which can last for hours and travel long distances underwater. While previous work has established that these songs are important during the winter breeding season, scientists have had limited information about how the whales’ physical actions relate to the time they spend singing. According to the new findings, humpback whales’ song themes change in step with different phases of dives, suggesting a functional link between the whales’ underwater movements and their vocal behavior. The tagging and analysis allow researchers to compare acoustic recordings of whale song with dive timing and structure, revealing a pattern of alignment rather than singing occurring independently of movement. Together, the reports emphasize that the whales’ singing is closely tied to their reproductive behavior in winter, and that the whales’ dive cycle appears to play a role in how song is produced and organized.