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NOAA Identifies Mystery Noise as Minke Whale

Posted by michael on from the heard-it-on-the-grapevine dept.

Anonymous Cowherd writes "An underwater noise that has long confounded Navy sonar operators turned out to be a call of the minke whale, the Sacramento Bee reports. Scientists at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in San Diego made the discovery this fall when they heard the noise during a research expedition and saw a minke whale surfacing. While the story mentions minkes in the North Pacific, here's a sample from an Atlantic minke."

24 comments

  1. In other news by brejc8 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Whale researchers have found what the annoying sound that keeps interrupting their recordings of Minke Whales. The sonar pings have been desturbing whase scientists for years. The source was unknown until recently when a submarine surfaced shortly after destroying a research crews sound recording.

    --
    Mouse powered Chips, Open source Processors and Lego
  2. Ah... by afabbro · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...so that explains the probe nearing the earth right now, disabling all power grids in its path. Judging by the pollution count in the atmosphere...

    --
    Advice: on VPS providers
  3. In other other news by JabberWokky · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Whale researchers have found what the source of their extensive net of microphones is. These microphones have allowed them to track and listen in on all whale species at various depths in various oceans. The source was unknown until paperwork surfaced recently showing that the US Navy dontated the entire system to whale researchers.

    --
    "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  4. Will this endanger the whales? by Simon+Field · · Score: 3, Interesting


    Now that whaling ships know what sounds to follow, will the catch be increased?

    Or have they known all along, and just not informed the Navy?

    --

    Free book: Science Toys You Can Make

    1. Re:Will this endanger the whales? by s4ltyd0g · · Score: 1

      Well I guess we'll know if the price of minke coats drops (-;

  5. They are mistaken! by Neck_of_the_Woods · · Score: 2, Funny


    This is really the sound of millions of linux supporters crying out, then suddenly silenced as it was once again proven that Linux is still harder to use than Windows.

    --
    Neck_of_the_Woods
    #/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead
    1. Re:They are mistaken! by sg_oneill · · Score: 2

      ....which scientists had long ignored as they were not interested in appeasing fools.

      --
      Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
  6. Minke Whales? by Cyno01 · · Score: 2

    I thought minke whales were extinct, or at least rare enough that their call wouldn't commonly confuse sonar operators.

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
    1. Re:Minke Whales? by OvertlyPedantic · · Score: 1

      No they're pretty common, I saw one or two when I was in Norway last summer, some in the sea, some on fishmonger's slabs. (and yes I do know they're mammals but perhaps the Norwegans don't)

  7. A sample? by jmd! · · Score: 3, Informative

    "Here's a sample"?
    Where's a sample?

    If you get to the page and there's no sound, it's because you're using a Free OS and Apple are assholes.

    Page nonobviously requires quicktime.

    1. Re:A sample? by orangesquid · · Score: 5, Informative

      If you look at the page source, you'll see this tag:
      embed src="atlminke10x.mov" width="80" height="20" type="video/quicktime" controller="true" autoplay="false"
      I used wget to fetch http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/sound01 /background/seasounds/media/atlminke10x.mov and it played just fine in mplayer. I used the PCM writer plugin and Notlame to make an mp3 of it (please mirror!!!!!!)

      --
      --TheOrangeSquid Is it any wonder things seem so awry? We swim in a sea of confusion and don't have to think to survive
    2. Re:A sample? by vidnet · · Score: 2
      (please mirror!!!!!!)

      will do!

  8. In other other other news by js7a · · Score: 2

    Navy engineers have found the source of their extensive increasing yearly funding. This funding has allowed them to build underwater microphones, submarines, ships, and everything else they have. The source was unknown until paperwork surfaced recently showing that the US taxpayer has been paying for all of it.

  9. Re:In other other other other news by JabberWokky · · Score: 2

    Citizens of the United States have found the source of their extensive freedom. This freedom has allowed them to prosper and pursue the lives they choose as guided by the Constitution and other legislation as interpreted by the judicial branch. The source was unknown until a history book surfaced showing that there have been several invasions of conquest that were repelled by the Navy (and other military portions of the Executive branch).

    --
    "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  10. speaking of sampling by josephgrossberg · · Score: 2, Funny

    When do we get the P. Diddy remix?

    --

    Joe
    http://www.joegrossberg.com
  11. In other other other other other news by js7a · · Score: 2

    Historians have found that the last invasion of the U.S. was in 1812, and except for an unsucsessful attack against Pearl Harbor, none have been attempted since. Nevertheless, fear mongering of such invasions have allowed the U.S. military to grow beyond reason against the best advice, taxing the freedoms of the Constitution away from citizens. The Department of Defense hopes that these facts will become unknown, and is covertly working toward that goal, months after renouncing it. Such military propaganda artists have long confounded peace- and freedom-loving citizens, although they often hear their noises, especially during the recent surfacing of the Bush-Bin Laden connection.

    1. Re:In other other other other other news by gi-tux · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You call Pearl Harbor unsuccessful? I thought that the Japanese did a pretty good number on us there. It took six months of hard work to get ready to move against them again, and if the carriers had been in port, we would have been in even worse shape.

      There has been an invasion of the U.S. since 1812. In 1911, IIRC, Pancho Villa invaded Texas from Mexico. Many people forget about this, but Americans died when he did that. Unfortunately, the Navy doesn't have much of a presence on the Rio Grande. However, the U.S. Army did chase him out of the country and Black Jack Pershing got a little training that helped in WWI.

      We would probably be in much worse shape as a country, if we didn't have such a well trained, well supplied military. If you think that folks like Hitler, Stalin, Hussien, etc. wouldn't already be over here, then you are crazy. It was thinking like that that allowed WWI and WWII to get so out of hand before we got into them. People that thought that the ocean was enough to keep those guys out. Well, those oceans are easier to cross today than they were over a half century ago and the next series of bad guys won't think twice about coming over here, if our armed forces aren't ready for them.

      And on top of that, in our consumer based country, the trade channels of the ocean are necessary to us. Without the supplies coming in from the orient, we would be hurting very soon. Without a Navy to protect those channels, it wouldn't be long before they were in danger. Look at history, there were the barbary priates that caused problems until the Navy took care of them. It was the Navy that blockaded the CSA and essentially choked the south during the War of Northern Agression (or American Civil War, yes I am a southerner). It was the Navy that defeated the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay. The Navy defeated the Japanese Navy during WWII which kept the Japanese Army from resuppliing their forces.

      Call me a war hawk if you like. But I am a strong believer in a well prepared military and a well armed nation. These two things are what will keep the U.S. free and at peace most of the time.

      --
      I have no sig, does anyone have one to spare?
    2. Re:In other other other other other news by js7a · · Score: 3, Informative
      We would probably be in much worse shape as a country, if we didn't have such a well trained, well supplied military.
      Bullshit. This year alone, the bloated defense budget is taking:

      • $189 million from higher education
      • $541 million from Training and Employment Services
      • $1.026 billion from Law Enforcement Assistance, Community Policing and other justice programs.
      • $223 million from Small and Minority Business Assistance, a 31% reduction
      • $227 million from disaster relief
      • $109 million from Small Business Administration Disaster loans, a 59% reduction
      • $338 million from Energy Supply programs
      • $354.1 million from clean up programs at former defense sites
      • $756 million from Water Resources programs, including flood prevention efforts
      • $498 million from Pollution control and abatement programs
      • $1.23 billion from Conservation and Land Management programs
      • $144 million from Animal and Plant inspection programs

      If you think that folks like Hitler, Stalin, Hussien, etc. wouldn't already be over here, then you are crazy.

      And if you think the likely source of that threat today is not from within, then you are crazy, or, more likely, just following orders.

      I am a strong believer in a well prepared military and a well armed nation.

      Clearly, you have greater belief in military and arms than in your God's commandment against killing. Remember your drill sergeant telling you to obey without question? You have made him very proud. I hope he is there to congratulate you when you receive your "heavenly reward" for your actions.

      These two things are what will keep the U.S. free and at peace most of the time.

      Then you are a fool. How many troops are worth one more student in your children's classes? How many bombs are worth one more undiagnosed tuberculosis patient in your town? How many bullets are worth one fewer book in your public library? How many rifles are worth one fewer ambulance in your neighborhood?

      The Constitution you have sworn to uphold has been eroded to the point of unrecognizability. Are you such a coward that you refuse to see that "folks like Hitler, Stalin, Hussien, etc." are in your own backyard?

    3. Re:In other other other other other news by gi-tux · · Score: 2

      Oh, I agree with you in many of the points above. Some of the programs that you list are very worth while programs. Some of them would be much better off without government intervention however. I personally believe that disaster relief would be better off without government. There are many very fine disaster relief programs that are totally volunteer based and they have the potential to do much better here than government bloated organizations. Law enforcement should be a local matter and left to that. Why should the government be involved in small and minority business in any way? If a business can succeed then so be it, if not, then tough luck. You knew that going into the business and you took the risk (yes I have been a small business owner and we were successful when I was involved in the business). These are just examples that I will use.

      I agree that we have a lot of threats from inside this country. I don't appreciate your accusing me to working for Osama Bin Laden. I stand very straight forth against him. I stand against anyone that is a terrorist and scum-bag. I did not say that I was for invading Iraq at this time. I really do believe that it should have been done 10 years ago, but I am not sure about right now. I am very glad that I don't have to make that decision.

      Clearly you and I have two totally different views of the commandment that says "thou shalt not kill". Given that God's people had an army and were commanded to destroy the enemies of God, and given that Christ himself ordered us to abide by the civil laws of our country, I believe that I or anyone has the ability to kill in a military action. While I do not believe that our nation is any longer a God fearing nation, I do believe that protecting it is the best way for me to continue following the laws of God as here I have freedom to do so. And for your general information, I have never served in armed forces. I support them very strongly but can not be counted among the heros of today.

      I don't have to worry about another student in my child's class. My wife and I educate our children. Our school has a student/teacher ratio of 1:1, let's see you ever reach that in the public school system, no matter how much you spend on it. There are plenty of doctors and clinics to care for the sick (actually there are beds in the local hospitals that are empty, I know as I worked for one of the hospitals until a couple of years ago). The public library is a local affair and spending U.S. tax dollars on the military has nothing to do with that, besides I make donations to the public library regularly, and public radio, and public TV. Our neighborhood not only has ambulances but also has a helicopter and again that is a local matter not a federal matter.

      I have never sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Please see above about me not being in the military nor have I ever been a politician and I am a native born citizen of the U.S. of A. I agree with you that there are folks that are in our backyard that are bad for us. I believe that one of them was retired from political office a couple of years ago. People who corrupt the powers of office, can't tell the truth to the people that put them in office, and attempt to pay the lazy through government programs. I also believe that there is little difference in Republicians and Democrats, they are the same people with a different name. If you believe in the same God that I believe in, then you also believe what II Thessalonians 3:10 says about not working and not eating. How can you justify the wastefulness of our federal government against this. And taking away free money from so many can supply work programs for them instead of paying them to sit around and do nothing. The framers of our Constitution would not believe the way that it has been warped today. They would never believe all the programs that are done to get votes (and that is the reason for them). Most of the founders of our country did not look at politics as an occupation, but as a duty.

      The men and women of our armed forces are willing to place their lives on the line everyday so that people like you and I can live in peace and freedom. They deserve everything that can be done for them to protect them from harm and they deserve the tools of their trade to allow them to do the job they have been assigned with the utmost in effeciency and precision. If that means that some person has to work his/her way through college rather than getting a free ride on the government, then so be it. If that means that someone stupid enough to build a business in a flood zone loses everything, then so be it.

      If you look at our nation historically, you will see that the best of times were when the nation had a reason to pull together. We were at our best during times like the depression, WWII, 9/11, etc. We need to learn to pull together like a team. A team can get more accomplished than the sum of its parts can accomplish independently.

      And let's not even get into taxes here. There is only one fair tax structure and you probably wouldn't like it as you would then have to pay your fair share.

      --
      I have no sig, does anyone have one to spare?
    4. Re:In other other other other other news by js7a · · Score: 2
      I personally believe that disaster relief would be better off without government.

      At what level? If a tree falls on your car, do you expect a public ambulance or not? If a cyclone devistates your city, where would you prefer to turn?

      There are many very fine disaster relief programs that are totally volunteer based and they have the potential to do much better here than government bloated organizations.

      Having the potential is very different from having the ability.

      Why should the government be involved in small and minority business in any way?

      The inordinate easy access to playing-field-tilting tax shelters by large corporations, and several centuries of exclusionary racism and slavery.

      Clearly you and I have two totally different views of the commandment that says "thou shalt not kill".

      Clearly! You, and apparently your church, are still living under the edicts of the Old Testament, apart from the grace of Jesus. When will you leave Numbers 31:17-18 behind and arrive at Matthew 5:38-39?

      The men and women of our armed forces are willing to place their lives on the line everyday so that people like you and I can live in peace and freedom.

      Firefighters and highway patrol officers have taken greater risks per hour of service than enlisted men and women since Viet Nam. They also serve the peace and for our continued healt essential to our freedom. That's still no reason to give them half of the federal budget.

      There is only one fair tax structure and you probably wouldn't like it as you would then have to pay your fair share.

      I'm in the top U.S. tax bracket and ashamed at how low my taxes are, except for the portion that pays for the military.

      What is the only one fair tax structure? Steeply progressive brackets, like we had under Eisenhower in the '50s?

  12. Electric shaver? by bhaskin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Whoever it is thinks that sounds like an electric shaver is in bad need of a new shaver.

  13. Oishii so! by devnulljapan · · Score: 1

    Actually the sound is simply the Japanese scientific whaliing fleet shouting "Oishii so da ne!"

  14. Boing Fish by svzurich · · Score: 1

    So this whale is what we call a Boing Fish on submarines? As a former STS2(SS), I am used to hearing a loud BOING sound stretched out and repeated for several sets, with a good half an hour break between sets when sitting broadband.

    We guessed the Boing Fish was created by whales (we knew it was biological vice seismic or man-made), but I am surprised to see that this is it. One less mystery, but a shame to solve it.