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.
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