What does a whale or dolphin sound look like?
For several years Mark Fischer of AquaSonic has been creating wavelets of sounds from a variety of species, and the results are far more than fascinating art. He translates complex cetacean communications into an equally complex visual flow that provides a visceral awareness that they must be communicating something. His “polar-form movie” of a minke whale’s “boing” sound is now on Google Video at http://tinyurl.com/y8szrz. The sound and image are slowed to 1/8th speed for easy human hearing, but you have to see it to believe it. Other samples from Mark are linked from that page. “Seeing” the calls this way allows us to sense some of their complexity. Mark’s work should stir up discussions of cetacean communications, and about time too. The NMFS Marine Mammal Health & Stranding Response Program Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) will become available for public review and comment in January or February. The PEIS, supporting documents, and other information will be
