"Do you ever hear a new song and realize it’s unlike anything you’ve heard before? I felt that a few times this year, mostly with Phoebe Bridgers and Polo G. It happened to scientists recently, too. But it wasn’t a new singer or rapper they discovered; it’s a new population of whales.
In a study published in the journal Endangered Species Research last week, scientists analyzed underwater recordings from the Arabian Sea, extending from the coast of Oman as far south as Madagascar. The team of researchers came across an unfamiliar kind of whale song that had never before been documented in 2017, sparking an international effort to discover the new singer.
“It was quite remarkable to find a whale song in your data that was completely unique, never before reported, and recognize it as a blue whale.” Salvatore Cerchio, director of the African Aquatic Conservation Fund’s Cetacean Program and study co-author, said in a statement."
