(Newser)
– Researchers studying whales in the western Indian Ocean were run over. They recorded a whale song that had never been heard, one described as a “slow, roaring ballad” by the New York News. After some underwater breakage, they report a happy discovery in the magazine Investigation of endangered species: The song belongs to a population of blue whales that has not been discovered until now. This is particularly good news, given that blue whales, which reach a gargantuan size, appear endangered under the Endangered Species Act, a message to Earther points out. After being hunted to the brink of extinction, it is estimated that the number of existing blue whales ranges from 10,000 to 25,000. It is unclear how many may belong to the new population.
“It was quite remarkable to find a whale song in your data that was completely unique, it had never been reported before, and to recognize it as a blue whale,” says Salvatore Cerchio, co-author of the study, of the program Cetacean of the African Aquatic Conservation Fund. they sing low songs, but each population has its own version, Science Daily explains. That is why researchers were able to identify the new group, which could be a unique subspecies. “It’s like listening to different songs within a genre: Stevie Ray Vaughan versus BB King,” Cerchio tells Time. “Everything is blues, but you know the different styles.” Researchers say the discovery makes it even more important to protect whales with regulations on shipping and carbon emissions. (Read more Blue Whale stories.)