Introduction
The 52-hertz whale is a mysterious creature that continues calling at a frequency unlike any other whale.
In 1992, the U.S. Navy’s underwater acoustic surveillance system (SOSUS) discovered a whale that calls at a distinctive frequency of 52Hz, much higher than typical blue whales (15-25Hz) or fin whales (around 20Hz).
Known as “the world’s loneliest whale,” it has influenced marine biologists, acousticians, filmmakers, and writers alike.
Does the 52Hz whale really exist? Is it truly lonely? I decided to investigate.
Audio Verification
I restored the 52Hz whale audio recorded at 10x speed back to 1x speed and visualized it with a spectrogram.
The bright colored areas show the vocalizations, and indeed it appears to be calling around 52Hz.
The data comes from NOAA’s public dataset.
52Hz sound - PMEL Acoustics Program
Here’s the actual audio source.
52Hz is right at the lower limit of human hearing. If you listen with headphones, you should feel the vibrations.
This is the 10x speed version. You can hear the 512Hz sound.
Whale Vocal and Auditory Organs
The 52Hz whale is said to be a member of the baleen whales, including fin whales.
Here’s what I found about baleen whale vocal and auditory organs as a non-expert.
The content is probably inaccurate 😂
- Vocal Organs
They have specially shaped U-shaped or V-shaped cartilage that vibrates to generate sound.
Unlike humans, they can vocalize continuously underwater by circulating air within their bodies. Amazing!
While the structure and air circulation differ from humans, the concept seems similar, so it should be able to vocalize at frequencies other than 52Hz?
- Auditory Organs
They don’t have external ears like humans, but rather complex structures.
Their ear bones are well-developed and can efficiently sense underwater vibrations.
If resonance affects hearing, each whale species might have organs specialized for specific frequencies.
Summary
The 52-hertz whale does indeed exist, as its name suggests. It’s truly an enigmatic creature.
I couldn’t confirm whether this whale can only call at 52Hz, or whether other whales can’t hear 52Hz sounds.
However, I hope that either one of these isn’t actually a problem, and that the whale isn’t truly lonely.
While I’m leaving it to others, I hope research progresses quickly!
References
Mammalian Order Cetacea, Baleen Whale Suborder | Shark Trading LLC
52Hz sound - PMEL Acoustics Program
Final Note
I read Sonoko Machida’s “52-Hertz Whales.”
While this whale is related to the main theme, it was very interesting.
I recommend everyone give it a read!
