Humpback whales once filled the oceans with songs that carried across entire seas. Today, human noise is drowning them out, disrupting their ability to communicate, find food and mate. This infographic explores the role of sound in humpback whale survival and reveals how global shipping routes and noise pollution threaten their fragile communication networks.
The Challenge
CONTEXT
National Geographic Layout Style
DELIVERABLE
Digital Information Visualization
AUDIENCE
TOOLS
Eco-conscious adults
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
AWARD
AMI Salon Award of Merit (Didactic Illustration), 2024
The hand-drawn map combines datasets of migration routes, breeding and feeding grounds, shipping traffic, and noise pollution hotspots. Lines, colour, and icons differentiate data and reveal the global overlap between whales and human activity.
Stylized sound waves, based on actual humpback whale recordings, represent specific communication sounds, each linked to a QR code so viewers can listen directly.
The Outcome: An immersive infographic that bridges geographic data with auditory interaction, guiding viewers seamlessly from macro global noise hotspots to micro biological impacts.
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