SETI AND CETACEANS
Welcome to the Podcast Series
Whales and Aliens is a podcast that explores intelligence in forms radically different from our own: biological, cosmic, and everything in between. It’s where disciplines converge: biology, astrophysics, indigenous science and music, all in service of rethinking how we observe. Not just the stars, but the living world around us. From the evolving songs of humpback whales to the search for technosignatures in deep space, we ask what it means to communicate across species and maybe even across worlds.
We investigate intelligence by examining advanced non-human minds on Earth, particularly the humpback whales and orcas of the Salish Sea. These marine species, with their complex communication and rich social structures, offer a living model for recognizing alien intelligence. Through tools like information theory we explore how cetacean cultures and vocalizations challenge conventional definitions of intelligence and prepare us for encounters with minds fundamentally different from our own.
about whales and aliens
FRONTIERS OF INTELLIGENCE
FRONTIERS OF INTELLIGENCE
FRONTIERS OF INTELLIGENCE
Whales and Aliens is an 8-part video podcast series that explores the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) through a radically interdisciplinary lens.
Whales and Aliens is made possible with the support from TELUS STORYHIVE and will be available for free on TELUS Optic TV April 2026 .
BIOLOGICAL BLUEPRINT
FRONTIERS OF INTELLIGENCE
FRONTIERS OF INTELLIGENCE
BioSETI is an emerging subfield of SETI and explores how nonhuman cognition might serve as a blueprint for detecting extraterrestrial intelligence. Our mission is to inform the search for extraterrestrial life by drawing parallels between whale societies, human civilization, and alien intelligences.
COMMUNICATION COMPLEXITY
FRONTIERS OF INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNICATION COMPLEXITY
We've converged a wide range of disciplines and worldviews to better explore how we might understand life in the universe. Each episode features leading experts and creative thinkers who challenge how we define intelligence, communication, and the very nature of life.
Preparing for Interstellar Contact
Human Intelligence
Human Intelligence
Human Intelligence
Humans stand as a prime example of how powerful brains and rich, adaptive cultures drive evolutionary success but what if intelligence exists in ways we haven’t yet recognized?
Humpback Whales
Human Intelligence
Human Intelligence
Humpback Whales sing the most complex song in the animal world, have evidence of tool use, undergo a 4,000km migration annually and demonstrate empathy towards other species.
Orcas
Human Intelligence
Orcas are an Apex Predator, with echolocation capabilities and pod-specific dialects. They live in a matrilineal society, have complex hunting techniques and have displayed grief.
Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the scientific study of life in the universe, including its origins, evolution, distribution, and potential future beyond Earth. It combines multiple disciplines to explore whether life exists elsewhere and how it might emerge under different conditions.
Evolutionary Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Evolutionary Biology is the branch of biology that studies the processes and patterns of evolution, including natural selection, genetic drift, speciation, and adaptation. It seeks to understand how life has changed over time and how different species are related through common ancestry.
Indigenous Science
Evolutionary Biology
Indigenous science is a distinct, holistic knowledge system developed through generations of direct experience, observation, and relationship with the natural world. Indigenous science emphasizes interconnectedness, context, and responsibility
Alien Minds
Interspecies Communication
Interspecies Communication
Interspecies Communication
If intelligence follows universal principles of structured communication, then studying non-human vocal systems—like those of humpback whales—could help refine SETI signal detection methods. Understanding whale vocalizations in the dual frameworks of music and language could provide a fuller range of insights into how extraterrestrial intelligences might communicate.
Future Evolutions
Interspecies Communication
Interspecies Communication
Combining gene pools of different species—also known as interspecies hybridization—is a powerful and complex process that can reshape biology and even the future of evolution. As humans evolve, so too will our communication. Historically, we’ve moved from cave paintings to spoken language, but the next leap may be neurological, immersive, and relational.
Messaging
Interspecies Communication
Messaging
METI (Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is the practice of deliberately sending signals into space in an attempt to communicate with potential extraterrestrial civilizations. It is the proactive counterpart to SETI. While SETI listens for alien signals, METI sends messages outward into space in hopes of contacting intelligent life.
Lisa Walker
Host and Producer
Interspecies Protocol
Host and Producer
Lisa Walker is a musician, composer, and humpback whale researcher dedicated to decoding whale song. Inspired by Sir Roger Payne’s vision of a universal music, her work offers profound insights into how we might one day communicate with beings beyond Earth.
BioMusic and SETI
Interspecies Protocol
Host and Producer
At the intersection of biomusic, SETI, and cetacean intelligence, she explores the possibility that Earth’s non-human species may already be participating in a form of universal communication, one that challenges anthropocentric models of intelligence.
Interspecies Protocol
Interspecies Protocol
Interspecies Protocol
She is currently developing a protocol that aligns humpback whale vocalizations with hypothetical alien signal structures, aiming to redefine what counts as “intelligence” in the universe.