Scientists Discover New Whale Species With Unique Sound in the Indian Ocean
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We may have missed something colossal that was present here the entire time.
Scientists have recently discovered a previously unknown population of blue whales present in the western Indian Ocean based on analysis of sound recordings from the region, found a
New York Timesreport.
The discovery of the group of whales, described in a paper published in the journal
Endangered Species Research, mentions the species has its own signature anthem. The anthem compromises of a slow, bellowing ballad that’s distinct from any other whale song ever described.
New Blue Whale Population Discovered After Scientists Hear Unknown Song
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New blue whales! (Photo: Ishara S. Kodikara, Getty Images)
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Do you ever hear a new song and realise it’s unlike anything you’ve heard before? I felt that a few times this year, mostly with Phoebe Bridgers and Polo G. It happened to scientists recently, too. But it wasn’t a new singer or rapper they discovered; it’s a new population of whales.
Photo: Ishara S. Kodikara (Getty Images)
Do you ever hear a new song and realize it’s unlike anything you’ve heard before? I felt that a few times this year, mostly with Phoebe Bridgers and Polo G. It happened to scientists recently, too. But it wasn’t a new singer or rapper they discovered; it’s a new population of whales.
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In a study published in the journal Endangered Species Research last week, scientists analyzed underwater recordings from the Arabian Sea, extending from the coast of Oman as far south as Madagascar. The team of researchers came across an unfamiliar kind of whale song that had never before been documented in 2017, sparking an international effort to discover the new singer.
New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean
An international team of researchers has discovered what it believes to be a new population of blue whales in the western Indian Ocean.
Blue whales are the largest animals that have ever lived on our planet, and they are found around the globe in all oceans. All blue whales sing very low-pitched and recognizable songs, and conveniently for researchers, every population has its own unique song. In a recently published paper in the journal Endangered Species Research, the researchers describe a new blue whale song that is heard from the Arabian Sea coast of Oman across to the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean and as far south as Madagascar in the southwest Indian Ocean.