Who Is 52 Hertz, the Enigmatic Solitary Whale from the Pacific Known for Its Powerful Songs?

[Article déjà publié le 28 mars 2024]

Nicknamed 52 Hertz in reference to the abnormally high frequency to which this whale sings, it is today a symbol of despair for many people.

The North Pacific Ocean, its fauna its flora … and its mysterious whale

Characterized by its large funds, between 6,000 and 8,000 meters deep, the North Pacific is made up of a large marine pit formerly called the Tuscarora pit east of the Japanese archipelago.

There is a fauna with exceptional richness: humpback whale, beluga, Morse, common seal, large dolphin … The paciqifue ocean, whether in the north or south, contains a real underwater universe, with its occupants and its legends …

Among them, the strange history of lonely whale. By learning about the facts, one could almost think of a story of horror. Some people heard her sing, never seeing her. A melancholic song, which haunts the vast blue regions of the North Pacific Ocean and continues to question for decades.

The mystery of the lonely whale

In view of the recordings harvested, we know that this “spray whale” is a male. But what species is it? The mystery remains whole. It could very well be a humpback whale, a blue whale, or even a hybrid! All scenarios are possible. It remains to find the answer, impossible without having a view of the mysterious singer.

If this lonely whale raises so much questions, it is because loneliness is not exactly a usual condition for these immense cetaceans. Indeed, whether for the search for food, socialization or protection against potential predators, whales, in particular humpback whales, prefer to stay between fellows.

52 Hertz and a missing companion

The loneliness of this whale is not its only distinctive brand. Indeed, the nature of its song itself is unusual. Indeed, it produces a very high sound, much more than most of its fellow men for whom the frequency varies between 15 and 25 Hz. This whale in question issues a sound recorded at 52 Hz, and would sing longer and more frequently than its fellows.

According to the association is enough!, Who fights against the exploitation of cetaceans and free or captive marine animals, this sound was spotted for the first time in 1989 by William Watkins of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He then studied calls for mating whales in the Pacific.

From now on, it is the sophisticated hydrophone system of the US Navy, at the base designed to monitor potential Soviet nuclear submarines during the Cold War, which would regularly fall on the frequencies of the song of the lonely whale. We know that each year, it moves from center of California to the Aleutian islands in the North Pacific.