Perhaps, everyone knows what loud and long-lasting whim songs are on our planet's seas and oceans. Still, their young ones tend to whisper, strangely and gently to cry and mumble over their mothers.
In order to record their sounds, scientists in the Exmouth Bay, western Australia, have attached temporary surveillance equipment to eight mussels and chicks. It is here that young whales feed and grow over months to prepare for annual migration to Antarctica or the Arctic, writes sciencemag.org.
© Vanessa Mignon | underwaterfestival.org
After listening to the records, the researchers announced that cautious whispers of the young were not a cocktail of food, as it was thought up to now. In fact, this can help them keep in close contact with their mothers. Subwoofer helps prevent potential predators and is heard almost exclusively for whale mothers.
Such discoveries were announced by ecologists from Denmark and Australia. The study looked at the life of whale chicks during the first months of their life.
The quiet whisperings of their little ones are heard and silent answers from their mothers. Depending on the ability of their mothers to "sing" very loud, such silent murmur shows concern for their baby's safety.
According to the study, the reproduction of whalebone whales is slower. Their pregnancy extends up to a year, and when the chicks are born, they are almost 5 meters long and grow more in 1 meter every month. The chicks are "attached" to their mothers for almost a year.