The seas around the UK have become so noisy that whales are having to sing louder to make themselves heard above the din created by ships, wind farms and oil exploration. With whale numbers severely depleted, the ability to communicate over long distances could be key to their finding a mate. According to a study by marine biologists, around the coast of the UK whale song is now ten times louder than it was fifty years ago, and also higher pitched. Whales are trying to adapt to increased man made noise either by emitting much louder noises or by calling at higher frequencies. Their messages are getting simpler and repeated more often, like a person being forced to shout.