Photo: Wikimedia Commons
In the 1960s, sailors in submarines off the coasts of Antarctica and Australia noticed a mysterious noise, which they called the “bio-duck sound” due to its resemblance to a duck quacking (see video below). The source of the sound remained a mystery for decades… until now. In this study, researchers discovered the bio-duck sounds in recordings that also contained sounds already known to be produced by Antarctic Minke whales. The association of the bio-duck sounds with minke whales will help researchers track and study these whales, which is difficult due to the icy seas in which they live — seas that are undergoing rapid changes associated with global warming.Mysterious bio-duck sound attributed to the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis).
“For decades, the bio-duck sound has been recorded in the Southern Ocean, but the animal producing it has remained a mystery. Heard mainly during austral winter in the ...
