Another new sound has been recorded from the ocean depths. This time it's the Marianas Trench area.
Named the “Western Pacific Biotwang,” the sound is unusual for its complexity and wide frequency range. It could potentially be a previously unheard call of a baleen whale, though many questions remain.
“It’s very distinct, with all these crazy parts,” said Sharon Nieukirk, senior faculty research assistant in marine bioacoustics at Oregon State. “The low-frequency moaning part is typical of baleen whales, and it’s that kind of twangy sound that makes it really unique. We don’t find many new baleen whale calls.”
The researchers describe the sound, which lasts between 2.5 and 3.5 seconds, as a five-part call that “includes deep moans at frequencies as low as 38 hertz and a metallic finale that pushes as high as 8,000 hertz.” The Biotwang sounds something like the so-called “Star Wars” sound made by dwarf minke whales on the Great Barrier Reef
A short version sounds like this.
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