Call of the wild: acoustic Localization of Bryde’s whale calls yields insights into their behavior

Researchers at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) have recorded a Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) call for the first time from the Hawaiian Islands, which appears to be similar to a Bryde’s whale call produced throughout the Pacific Ocean. The team was able to track the whales based on acoustic localization of their calls, and found that Bryde’s whales travel faster than previously thought, and in a parallel pattern that suggests they’re traveling in spaced groups, possibly using acoustic calls to maintain their formation.