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A spectrogram showing whale calls recorded in the North Pacific with a hydrophone.
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Mysterious "Boing" Identified in North Pacific
Dec. 17 — A team of biologists recently identified the source of a mysterious marine sound that has been puzzling scientists for some 50 years, the
Academic Press reported.
The cryptic sound, described as "boing," is heard exclusively in a narrow swath of the North Pacific during the winter, said the Press.
U.S. Navy sonar operators discovered "boing" in the 1950s. Their theory was that an enemy submarine was making the sound.
Later, researchers thought the sound was biological in origin, possibly a marine mammal or a large fish, the Academic Press reported.
On Nov. 7, researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) picked up the baffling sound during a routine search for whales and dolphins off the coast of Hawaii, government biologist Shannon Rankin told the Academic Press.
The crew launched the David Starr Jordan, their research ship, on a quest for the source of the "boing," using software and hydrophones to guide them.
After several hours the crew observed a 23-foot minke whale surface in the vicinity of where the sounds were coming from.
The discovery revealed a minke whale breeding ground, said Rankin and biologist Jay Barlow, a colleague at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, Calif.
"They were hiding, all this time, in the rough winter waters of the central North Pacific," Barlow told the Academic Press.
Based on the behavior of related whales, the researchers believe the noise is the mating call of a male minke, said the article.
By Jason Robey
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Name: Minke Whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Primary Classification: Mysticeti (Baleen Whales)
Location: Worldwide distribution.
Habitat: Open ocean, coastal waters, and near ice sheets. More common in cooler regions.
Diet: Mostly krill. Also small fish and squid.
Size: Up to 35 ft in length and 14 tons in weight.
Description: Dark gray to black on top. White underneath. White band on flippers. Narrow, pointed snout. Ridge from snout to blowhole. Baleen plates.
Cool Facts: Smallest of the baleen, or filter-feeding, whales. Able to surf ocean breakers and leap completely out of the water.
Conservation Status: Lower Risk (Near Threatened)
Major Threat: Hunting/Whaling
What Can I Do?: Visit The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and The Ocean Conservancy for information on how you can help.
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