They sound like cosmic radio transmissions, sent from another solar system, or galaxy.
But no, these resonating squeaks and whistles are emanating from the beluga whales swimming in the waters off of Churchill, Canada, situated along the vast Hudson Bay in Manitoba. Cameras beneath boats livestream the explore.org beluga whale cam while an underwater microphone, called a hydrophone, records the belugas’ effusive, and at times otherworldly, vocalizations.
“They are called the ‘canaries of the sea’ for how chatty they are,” said Alysa McCall, a staff scientist with Polar Bear International, which operates the camera-rigged beluga boats. Read more…
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