A team of Australian and New Zealand researchers has tracked scores of blue whales off Antarctica, eavesdropping as the world’s largest animals began their rumbling song, which can be detected 750 kilometers away. During the six-week Australia-New Zealand Antarctic Ecosystem Voyage to the Southern Ocean, which returned Wednesday, the Antarctic marine scientists listened for the low moans of the endangered whales, and then tracked them to their feeding grounds. The scientists were able to identify 58 individual blue whales and record more than 40,000 calls during the voyage, which aimed to help estimate the population size of the endangered animals and their movements.

Whales start their song off Antarctica. (2015, March 12). Manila Standard, p. B7.