[DRH]

ToW - You bet Winni talks in the winter! Your description of the "whale sounds" accurately describes one of Winni's "languages". As the big ice mass expands during the daytime and contracts during the cold winter nights, stress cracks are formed. Oftentimes at night the cracks will produce the whale sounds you mentioned, which are a kind of high-pitched, watery, echoing sound that seems to transmit for miles across the ice. At other times, many stress cracks seem to occur together and the sound they produces is like rolling thunder in the distance. That kind of sound can continue for just a few seconds or up to an almost continuous background drone. Then at other times, big instantaneous stress cracks can occur which sound like a high power rifle shot that echos off the islands and mountains behind us. It's really fascinating listening to the "talking lake" on a cold winter night.