Blue whale song appears to be affected by petrol exploration and shipping. 

Blue whales are changing their calling behaviour in response to human noise disturbance such as petroleum exploration and shipping, although they are unfazed by the noise of earthquakes, according to US researchers. 

A research team from Oregon State University in the USA has compared blue whale calls before and after earthquakes, and found the animals did not respond to this episodic natural noise. 

The scientists suggest the whales may have evolved to tolerate occasional natural disturbances, but they warn that human-caused noise is more disruptive, lasts longer and is unfamiliar to the whales, affecting their calls and possibly leading to problems for the world's largest animals.

The study is accessible here.