Newly discovered population of blue whales found in Indian ocean: Study

A previously undiscovered population of blue whales has been
found in the western Indian ocean based on an analysis of sound recordings from
the region, PTI reported.

While the discovery can be crucial in learning more about
the largest mammals to have ever existed on earth who inhabit almost all oceans
and sing a quite low-frequency, recognisable song, the study published in
Endangered Species Research states that the scientists have possibly hit upon a
blue whale song that has never been described till now.

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This can be particularly significant, as based on the
analysis, the scientists are currently assuming that the song originated from a
previously unrecognised population of blue whales in the western Indian ocean
region.

“It
was quite remarkable to find a whale song in your data that was completely
unique, never before reported, and recognise it as a blue whale,” PTI quoted
the co-author of the study, Selvatore Cerchio, as saying while describing the
tune.

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While
the initial assumption regarding the group was that it fell into same category
as the population studied in Sri Lanka and south-central Indian ocean at large,
the songs recorded in the two regions tell a different story.

“Before
our recording effort off Oman, there were no acoustic data from the Arabian
Sea, and so the identity of that population of blue whales was initially just a
guess,” Andrew Wilson, another co-author of the study from Five Oceans Environmental
Services LLC, was quoted as saying.