projects

construction

blue whale
  background
  expeditions
  degreasing
  articulation
  install
  the team
  biology
    size
    feeding
    breeding
    sound
    sleeping
    protection
  support
  media

bird prep

field notes

 

The Blue Whale Project
intro | background | expeditions | degreasing | articulation | install | the team | biology | support | media
biology: size | feeding | breeding | sound | sleeping | protection

Bellow
Blue whales are not just the biggest of animals, they are the loudest, too. A blue whale's call is 190 decibels, louder than a jet at 140 decibels, much louder than a human can shout (70 decibels). They sing at a very low frequency, and this, combined with the loudness of their voices, allows their songs to travel thousands of km. These far-ranging calls may allow the mostly solitary blue whales to communicate with others of their kind in distant parts of the ocean. The whales may also be using echolocation to map the ocean floor, allowing them to plan routes around seamounts and other large underwater features.

Listen to blue whale sounds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration here. A subwoofer will help you appreciate the full range of this call, which will shake your bones with its low frequency.

ubc.ca

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