Marie Comuzzo

This dissertation explores how the recognition of humpback whale vocalizations as “song” has shaped human perception of whales, fostering a commitment to their preservation. The release of the 1970 album “Songs of the Humpback Whale” arguably catalyzed a global movement to save whales, further driven by scientists, musicians, artists, environmental activists, and major stakeholders in the years to follow. Through ethnomusicological and field-based research in Tahiti, Hawaii, and Aotearoa (New Zealand)—as well as through multimedia tools—this project analyzes human-whale interactions in the context of ecotourists practices, First Nations, scientific communities, and musical exchanges, revealing complex cultural, gendered, and environmental entanglements.