December 2009

  • Two Strandings in New Zealand Kills 175 Whales

    By Niki Fears on 12/30/09 12:12am
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    Pilot WhalePilot WhaleThis past weekend a mass stranding of pilot whales resulted in the loss of 175 whales to spite the best efforts of many who tried to rescue the struggling animals who were beached in two separate stranding incidences.

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  • Is Global Warming or Sound Pollution Affecting the Songs of Blue Whales?

    By Niki Fears on 12/19/09 12:56am
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    Blue WhaleBlue WhaleOne of the most eerily enchanting sounds in nature is undoubtedly the mesmerizing song of the blue whale. The song of the blue whale, the largest animal on Earth, can travel several miles away and while the exact nature, content, and purpose of these calls are not yet completely understood by the scientists that study them, researchers have recently discovered a trend in the pitch emitted by the singing whales.

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  • Blue Whale Songs: Changing Pitch

    By lisala on 12/16/09 7:05am
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    Scientists and the curious, have been paying attention to the songs of whales, especially to those of "Big Blue," the blue whale, since the 1960s. The blue whale, known to scientists as Balaenoptera musculus, a member of the baleen whale group, and the largest animal known to have existed on the Earth, ever. They were close to extinction, after years of over-hunting, and their future was seriously in doubt. But of late, there's been some good news.

    Scientists Mark McDonald of WhaleAcoustics in Bellvue, Colo., John Hildebrand of Scripps Oceanography, and Sarah Mesnick of NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center, haven been studying data regarding the songs of blue whales from around the world, and noticed a pattern. The pitch, that is the audio frequency of the songs, has been steadily curbing downward.

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