explorative missions to the Mariana Trench in 2014 and 2015 picked up a persistent sound . An depth psychology of these recordings has led to the conclusion they came frombaleen whale , having ruled out both geophysical and human - produced sounds . Although these call most closely resemble the sound made by minke whales , they are so different from anything we have heard before they may come from an unknown species .
As the deepest part of the ocean , the Mariana Trench has attractedconsiderable researchattention . From September to November 2014 , and again from March to April the undermentioned class , Seaglidersexplored the part of the oceanic abyss depute a Marine National Monument . Detectors on the gliders cull up frequent mysterious sounds they dubbed the “ Western Pacific Biotwang ” .
InThe Journal of the Acoustical Society of America , a paper bySharon Nieukirkof Oregon State University and colleagues proposes the author of these sounds come from a baleen whale . One explanation is that the sounds represent a local accent of minke song , but a more interesting hypothesis is that there is a species of whale out there we ’ve never seen .
Such a title might seem unlikely at first to non - whale experts . It ’s one matter to discover a new species of louse now and then , but are n’t whales a little large to overlook ? Huge as whales are , they can still get missed in the vastness of the sea , particularly coinage that seldom come near land . The signal of one antecedently unknown whale species wasdetectedlast year , and this year a whale skeleton in Alaska was reported as probably being from anundescribed metal money .
location where the biotwang was detected . Nieukirk et al / The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
A whale that prefers the deep piss of the Trench would be particularly likely to fudge our notice .
The Biotwang lasts between 2.5 and 3.5 second base , into which its maker packs five component , including moans at frequence of 38 Gustav Ludwig Hertz ( about double the lowest notes humans can hear ) . It complete with a metallic - sound pulse rate that can reach frequency of 8000 Hz .
“ It ’s very trenchant , with all these crazy parts , ” Nieukirk said in astatement . “ The lowly - frequency moaning part is distinctive of baleen whales , and it ’s that kind of twangy sound that makes it really unequaled . We do n’t get many new baleen hulk claim . ”
The closest show relation of the biotwang is a " ba - ba - boinnnggg " noise founder off by midget minke whales around the Great Barrier Reef , dubbed the“Star Wars ” callfor its resemblance to the sound of blasters in the flick . Since dwarf minkes in the northerly Pacific make a very different auditory sensation it is possible the biotwang is a further example of their vocal diversity , but Nieukirk also leaves unfold the theory of an only new species . She hopes research worker who have notice something similar will acknowledge the analog and combine the noesis .
Assuming the whales are not just enjoy mess with the silly humans ' heads , the reason for the call is also unknown . “ If it ’s a mating call , why are we get it class around ? That ’s a mystery , ” Nieukirkadded .
give the diversity of hulk phone , Doryreally did n’t stand a opportunity of successful communicating .
