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In search of the loneliest whale

By dr. dolittle on July 17, 2013.
Image of the 52 Hertz whale song from Wikimedia Commons, NOAA. Image of the 52 Hertz whale song from Wikimedia Commons, NOAA.

According to Discovery News, scientists and filmmakers are on the hunt for what people have called the Loneliest Whale in the World.

In 1989 William Watkins (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) discovered the vocalizations of a whale that were unlike that of any other whale. The vocalizations of the mystery whale were 52 Hertz whereas other whales sing in the 17-18 Hertz range, allowing their songs to travel far distances. Beginning in 1992, he and his team started tracking the movements of the 52 Hertz whale using recordings from the Navy, although they never actually saw it. To this day, the identity of this animal is unknown although it appears to still be alive. The goal of the planned documentary is to find the 52 Hertz whale and determine what species it is and whether it has a deformity causing the variation in frequency from other whales.

I look forward to seeing the documentary, Finding 52. 

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