Link #9: The Loneliest Mammal in the World?

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Blue whale

Chain of Facts - A Connection of Facts

Link #9: The Loneliest Mammal in the World?

As explained in our previous post, you can’t hear anything in space. Not being able to hear in space has far-reaching ramifications (results). The most crucial of these is that if you ever get lost in space, you’ll be extremely and heart-wrenchingly lonely. Not unlike the fate of the 52 Hertz whale, which could win the Loneliest Mammal on Earth Award, with ease.

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What Is the 52 Hertz Whale?

Blue whale
Adult blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). By NOAA Photo Library cc2.0

The 52 Hertz whale is a unique species of whale that has never been found, or even “heard” from before 1992. Marine biologists say that it’s a whale that roams the oceans of the Earth making sounds and singing whale songs. The most interesting aspect of the 52 Hertz whale is that it is the only whale that makes the kind of sounds it does. It’s one-of-a-kind.

In fact, the name of this whale is a result of the fact that its sounds are unique in the world of whales. Most whale species closer to the 52 Hertz whale have songs in the range of 15 to 25 hertz, but this lonely whale sings in the 52 hertz frequency. Some marine biologists have also noticed that the 52 Hertz whale’s songs are more frequent and shorter than other whales’ songs. This further supports the theory that the 52 Hertz whale is looking for something, but his songs are going unanswered.

This is a whale that humanity first came across in 1992, and it has been tracked consistently since then. What’s so unique about the sound it makes? Its sounds are similar to the lowest note you’ll hear on a tuba. These sounds are like what we hear from other species of whales such as the Giant Blue whale or even the Fin whale.


The Worlds Loneliest Whale – 52 Hertz


The 52 Hertz Whale Is Fit and Maturing

The age of the 52 Hertz whale is unknown because marine biologists haven’t had the chance to study it up close yet. However, since the whale has survived for over two decades in the harsh environment of the North Pacific, it is probably healthy and fit. Furthermore, judging by its songs, the 52 Hertz whale is said to be maturing, as its voice has deepened over the years.


Why Does the 52 Hertz Whale Behave This Way?

Fin whale
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) exhaling, off Greenland by Aqqa Rosing-Asvid cc2.0

Nobody, not even scientists and marine biologists, can say with sure why the 52 Hertz whale behaves this way. There are theories which try to explain the 52 Hertz’s behavior. According to one theory, the sounds made by the 52 Hertz whale are so unique because it could be the last surviving member of a previously unknown species of baleen whale.

Another theory suggests that the 52 Hertz whale has a unique voice and is alone on the planet because it is malformed in some manner. Finally, some marine biologists think that the uniqueness of the 52 Hertz whale is a result of crossbreeding, that the 52 Hertz whale is a hybrid of two different species of whales, such as the Blue whale and the Fin whale.




Can you Guess the Next Link in the Chain?

What will be the next link in our Chain of Facts? Think you might know? Scroll down to add a comment below with your best guess.

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Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/21/science/21whal.html?_r=2
http://blogs.discovery.com/animal_news/2012/05/52-hertz-the-loneliest-whale-in-the-world.html

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