Sennheiser 2011 Annual Report Download - page 14

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10 Hz
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UNDERWATER HITS
ing. Using the argument, for instance, that the
Azores have built a whole tourist industry based
on whale-watching, they plan to make a case that
there are more humane ways to cash in on whales.
For animal rights activists, the often sensa-
tionalized, brutal whale hunt is just one of the
whale’s many tribulations. Incredibly sensitive
hearing makes them particularly vulnerable to
noise. “Noise is as irritating to a whale as blinding
lights would be to us when we try to read or drive a car,” ex-
plains Boisseau. The steady increase in shipping, the noise
from pipelines and drilling platforms, the infernally loud
acoustic cannons used to conduct seismic studies of the
ocean floor, not to mention the sonar used by different mili-
taries to scan the floors of 80 percent of the world’s oceans
are pure torture to whales. The noise causes them to lose
their bearings, and drives them away from traditional feed-
ing and mating grounds. In the worst-case scenario, noise
can even kill them. Whales are so sus-
ceptible to noise that beached whales
are often found to have suffered cere-
bral or inner-ear hemorrhaging. “It’s a
tragic development that some species
could have died out before we ever
have a chance to get to know them,”
says Boisseau.
The team has another special
project planned for this year’s expedi-
tion. Using the latest soft-
ware, they will be able to re-
cord frequencies below 20 Hz.
Though usually inaudible to
the human ear, infrasound can
have a negative impact on
people’s moods and psyches.
Not so for other animals, such as giraffes and elephants,
which use these frequencies to their own advantage.
Whales use frequencies as low as 10 Hz; though fin whales
tend to use frequencies around 20 Hz and blue whales, 16
Hz. The sounds carry over truly mind-boggling distances.
Boisseau gushes, “A sound transmitted off the coast of Af-
rica can theoretically be picked up in the Caribbean.” Male
humpback whales are the masters of these infrasound con-
certs. Recent studies show that, during the mating season,
the male humpback whale uses up to 622 sounds to com-
pose distinct, multi-strophic songs. And the frequency
range – 7 to 8,000 Hz – is staggering. Life on the
“the Song” can be lonely. Day in day out, nothing but blue
water. Nothing to hear, let alone anything to see. It’s a
seemingly endless waiting game. While the crew switches
out at regular intervals, Boisseau remains on board, watch-
ing, listening, waiting until – finally – he hears the groan,
cry and knocking that terrorized seamen of yore. The song
of the whale. ■
A GAME OF PATIENCE
14
years long, the
marine biologist
and bioacoustician
Oliver Boisseau
traveled the oceans before he
caught sight of one of the extreme-
ly rare beaked whale. Boisseau re-
ceived his Ph.D. from the University
of Otago, New Zealand. Since 2004,
he has been traveling the world
with the IFAW research ship “Song
of the Whale.”
1. On board, Boisseau listens to the
depths with his Sennheiser HD 280 2. The
research ship is equipped with the most-
modern technology 3. Blue whales com-
municate with each other over thousands
of kilometers, using infrasound noises
HD 280 PRO
Sturdy companion for loud environments. A
favorite of researchers, DJs and sound technicians.
Frequency response 8–25,000 Hz
Pick-up pattern Dynamic, closed
Total harmonic
distortion
0.1 %
Weight 220 g
Sennheiser HD 280 PRO
Dynamic stereo headphones
AUGMENTED
REALITY