Researchers say the discovery of the oldest known recordings of whale sounds could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate. The recording captured the song of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts, say it was recorded in March 1949 in Bermuda. The recording predates the discovery of whale song by nearly 20 years. Scientists say the recording is important because it documents whale song during a time when the ocean was quieter.