They also use their jaws to listen to these sub-surface chatterings, as their ears remain in the air above.

While the underwater sounds resonate through their jawbones and chubby necks. The noises above the surface come out from their nostrils. These underwater sounds are actually not dissimilar to those made by dolphins, who, believe it or not, are a distant relative of hippos.īut, to take things one step further, hippos can actually communicate above the water and below the water’s surface at the same time. Which raises the question what noise does a hippo make underwater? This unique lifestyle means that about 80% of hippo communication takes place below the water’s surface. Hippos walk along the bottom of the riverbed to get around (contrary to popular belief, a hippo can’t swim).Īnd when they’re relaxing, they spend most of their time semi-submerged in the shallow waters. They’re semi-aquatic animals, meaning they spend their lives both on land and in water. But hippos have a trick up their noise-making sleeves. This incredible hippo ‘concerto’ was recorded in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa. It sounds particularly special in this clip, mixed in with the other wonderful sounds of wild Africa. To answer your question, here are some hippo noises, recorded in the heart of the African bush.įor some visual context, here’s a video of a hippo in its natural habitat, grunting happily for the camera.

So you’re best off hearing these noises for yourself. Hippos grunt, groan, growl, roar and make loud wheezing sounds.īut words can only be so descriptive. Their vocalizations are pretty unique, and they make a large variety of noises. And as you’ll discover shortly, some of their noises are somewhat similar to dolphin sounds! Though some compare their ‘honking’ to the sound of deep laughter. What Does a Hippo Sound Like?Ī hippo sounds like … well … a hippo, and not much else. You’ll find audio clips and a video below. There’s a whole hidden dimension to hippopotamus sounds, quite literally below the surface – but more on this later.įirst, let’s answer the simple question: what sound does a hippo make? Today’s sound of the wild is that of the hippopotamus – and there’s more to it than you might think. So get ready to experience the wildest animal noises from the African bush! Welcome to Africa Freak’s animal concert, where you can hear and learn about different safari sounds.

Shoebill stork noises