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Antarctica is often perceived as nothing more than a lifeless barren of cold. A frozen dessert. However, not many are aware of the booming and flourishing population of Weddel seals that dominated the waters of the frozen south. There, they create a soundscape that a lot of creatures, especially humans, are unaware of.
(Photo : Vassil Tzvetano on Wikimedia Commons)
These pinnipeds typically emit high-pitched pings that sound like laser guns in a science-fiction movie. But that is not their entire repertoire. Research reveals that a significant portion of their calls is at ultrasonic frequencies, high pitches well beyond the 20-kilohertz limit of most human hearing.