A startling new discovery about the sound of blue whales

Scientists have just published new research on the sound of blue whales - the most mysterious animals on the planet.

Scientists participating in the Australian Antarctic program recently completed a 15-year study of Antarctic blue whales and published their findings on the species' calls on Frontiers in Marine Science.

Blue whales emit 3 different types of calls. (Photo: WDC).

The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, can be up to 30 meters long, but is also a highly endangered species because it was "pursued" by the industrial whaling industry to the point of near extinction.

Due to threat, whales choose to live in very remote and difficult-to-reach environments, so monitoring their activities is not easy, according to NDTV .

Researcher Brian Miller, a member of the Australian Antarctic program, said the new research sheds light on the distribution and behavior of blue whales in Antarctica.

Sonar is a device used to collect acoustic data of blue whales. (Photo: Dave Allen).

Specifically, using passive acoustic devices called sonobuoys, researchers collected nearly 3,900 hours of sound data, divided into 3 distinct types of calls made by this creature. produced are the Z chirp, the Unit-A chirp and the D chirp .

In particular, the Z call is the sound of males alone, the Unit-A call is part of the Z call and is found in abundance throughout the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions.

Meanwhile, the D call is considered by scientists to be a "social" call because all blue whale populations, including males and females, make this sound when foraging for food.

By detecting and classifying calls, scientists can track whale populations over time. Accordingly, they discovered that D calls often occur at the beginning of the feeding season (summer), while Z calls and Unit-A calls often appear in late summer and early fall.

Also thanks to the use of sonar, scientists can listen to the sounds of whales, sail to where they live, then observe, take photos and even take biopsy samples for further research.

Currently, the research team still does not know the exact meaning of these cries. But by combining the calls with other data, such as aerial footage and AI algorithms, they were able to assess the blue whale's movements and other aspects of the animals' behavior. .

In addition, the research team also hopes that new research techniques can be applied in observing the possible impacts on blue whales of climate change and the impact on krill species. - the main food source of the largest animal on the planet.