Then, almost a year later, a juvenile female humpback got tangled in a fishing net and drowned at the northern tip of the country.Įlemans: We were lucky, in that sense, that two animals stranded very close to the lab here in a harbor where we have very quick access. First, a six-month-old sei whale died in a nearby fjord in 2018, likely because of emaciation. When they got access to three stranded baleen whales, including two located close to their lab in Denmark, it led them to a breakthrough. Since it is difficult to study whale physiology, it took Coen and his colleagues a while to find suitable specimens. He is particularly interested in how animals make sound and how their brains control it. So you have to get there fast in order to study physiology.įarmiloe: That’s Coen Elemans, a professor of bioacoustics at the University of Southern Denmark. And whales, as you know-or might know-they also have been known to explode on the beach. The tissues they have decompose incredibly fast. And if they beach, unfortunately, then it’s really hard to get there on time. Their findings, published online last month, may also explain why noise pollution from ships hinders the whales’ ability to communicate.įarmiloe: Hi, I’m Devin Farmiloe, and you’re listening to Science, Quickly.įarmiloe: Even after Songs of the Humpback Whale popularized whales’ songs and increased public awareness of the animals’ decline, they remained an enigma.Ĭoen Elemans: We know very little of them. Now scientists believe they have discovered how humpbacks and other baleen whales produce these unique sounds. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. While I am a little too young to have caught its release, I remember seeing the CD for sale at Walmart alongside other calming tracks for meditation.įarmiloe: You could press a button to get a preview of each album, and all of a sudden, as you stood on the concrete floors in front of a display of posters, the eerie songs of the humpback would fill your ears. Many people across the globe are familiar with the 1970 album Songs of the Humpback Whale, produced by biologist Roger Payne. Devin Farmiloe: Those are the haunting melodies of baleen whales reverberating through the ocean waves.
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