Nature & Environment

Search is on for 'world's loneliest whale'

By T.K. Randall
July 19, 2013 ·  14 comments

Image Credit: Whit Welles While most whales communicate at a frequency of between 17 and 18 Hertz, this particular specimen caught the attention of researchers because it was communicating at 52 Hertz. Whether due to a malformation or otherwise, this anomalous frequency means that the whale's calls will never be picked up by other whales, earning it the nickname 'world's loneliest whale'.

"We don't know what species it is," said research assistant Mary Ann Daher. "We don't know if it has a malformation. Obviously, it's healthy. It's been alive all these years. Is he alone? I don't know. People like to imagine this creature just out there swimming by his lonesome, just singing away and nobody's listening. But I can't say that."

Source: Herald Sun | Comments (14)

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