Scientists at the Australian University of New South Wales have found a population of endangered blue dwarf whales in the waters of the Indian Ocean from their songs. This was announced on Sunday, June 13, in a message on the official website of the educational institution.
Experts found the whales while studying data from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. Hydrophones recorded the songs of pygmy blue whales. In the course of studying the frequency, tempo and structure of the recorded sounds, scientists found out that none of the already known groups of whales sings such songs. If observations confirm the presence of a new population, then it will become the fifth in the Indian Ocean.
– We do not yet know the exact number of whales in the group, but there are suspicions that there are a lot of them. We hear a huge number of sounds, – said University professor Tracy Rogers.
Dwarf blue whales are the smallest members of the blue whale family. Their songs can be heard at a distance of up to 500 kilometers.
As the website kp.ru previously wrote, the Russian government has proposed introducing a ban in the state on catching whales and dolphins in the framework of coastal and industrial fishing.
