the tale of the whale and the duck
or how the Acousonde™ 3B helped solve a fifty year old mystery
For roughly fifty years scientists have wondered about the origin of mysterious duck-like sounds which occur seasonally in the ocean around Antarctica. They named this 'bio-duck' sound.
Turns out it has been whales quaking away down there - the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) to be precise, and, drum roll please.... the Acousonde™ 3B assisted with the identification.
It's a great story! Congratulations to Denise Rische and her coauthors for the solution.
- Read the paper: 23 April 2014 article in biology letters, Mysterious bio-duck sound attributed to the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis), Rische et al.
- Read and listen: National Geographic article; includes a link to a recording of the deep 'bio-duck' sound so you can decide what it sounds like for yourself.
- View photos: photos of the February 2013 field work are in Acoustimetrics' Acousonde™ photo album. Look towards the bottom of the page for the photos labeled 'Antarctic minkes'. There are several stunning photos of minkes which were taken under a research permit, such as this one. Don't overlook the green Acousonde™ 3B on the minke; it's not a reflection from the glacial ice in the background.
Cetacean Research Technology is the distributor for the Acoustimetrics Acousonde™ 3A and the Acousonde™ 3B. In addition, we were part of the team that designed the prototype of the Acousonde™ 3B.
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