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Tuesday 22 May 2012

52 Hertz


I read a story a few days ago, about the loneliest whale on the planet. His name is the 52 Hertz Whale. And his story just breaks my heart.

You see, most whales sing at between 15 and 25 hertz, but in 1989 the US Navy picked up a whale song frequency of 52 hertz. This lone whale, that no one has ever actually seen, is singing away, calling out for friends, at a frequency too high for any other whale to even hear, let alone respond.

It could be that he's a hybrid whale, or a relic of a nearly extent species we've not yet discovered, or a mermaid, or maybe just a whale with a speech impediment. It's a mystery.

So, as he has no companions, he's lost out there in the great, wide and deep ocean, following his own migration route, all alone.

You can hear his call, compared to other whales, by clicking >here<. Isn't it heartbreaking?

Man, I just can't stop thinking about this whale, out there somewhere, right now.

6 comments:

  1. You know, as somebody who is interested in wildlife, this is sad, not only because this whale is so lonely, but because the fact is that it could be a nearly extinct species, because od whale hunting from early days to even 1992, whe whale hunting stopped being legal, same year in which this whale started being investigated, a tracked, it is indeed heartbreaking to know stuff like this, but I hope this shows mankind what their actions can cause...

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  2. Hey! We saw this image and absolutely loved it, your thoughts about him as well. We, too, connected to this very special story. We're so fascinated that we decided to find him. We're making a documentary about the physical search for 52 as well as peoples' reactions to his remarkable story. Since we're in production, we'd love for you to check out our Facebook page and sign up for our mailing list to learn more. This documentary isn't only about the Loneliest Whale, it's about you and people like you who connect to it. Please 'like' us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/finding.52 and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Finding52 .

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  4. Which is more sad, that it might not be understood, or not even heard? The distance an average whale can be heard by other whales, is abou 250 ft. the 52Hz Whale might only be heard 93 feet away. The evolution of low frequncey communication is a remarkable development.

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  5. Can I use it as my wall paper? :)

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