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We (as in we humans) have been listening to the whales for some time now, and we know that different species typically vocalize at specific frequency ranges. For instance, the 15-20 Hertz range is used by blue whales, fin whales at around 20, and humpback whales much higher.
In the North Pacific, we've been tracking a sound at 52 Hertz since 1992. It's repeated by a single voice and it moves around aimlessly.
No known species of whale sings at this frequency. Speculations include that the whale is a hybrid, or that it is deaf, or that it is malformed in some way that affects its vocalizations (although the fact that it has survived this many years seems to disprove the last).
The other possible conclusion is that this whale is the only one of its kind.
(Sources: New Scientist article here and abstract of Mary Ann Daher's paper about the phenomenon here)
In the North Pacific, we've been tracking a sound at 52 Hertz since 1992. It's repeated by a single voice and it moves around aimlessly.
No known species of whale sings at this frequency. Speculations include that the whale is a hybrid, or that it is deaf, or that it is malformed in some way that affects its vocalizations (although the fact that it has survived this many years seems to disprove the last).
The other possible conclusion is that this whale is the only one of its kind.
(Sources: New Scientist article here and abstract of Mary Ann Daher's paper about the phenomenon here)
