Researchers pick up nine new calls made by Weddell seals
Most of these sounds were measured at more than 21 kHz, which is beyond the range of human hearing of 20 to 20,000 hertz. A particular high-pitched whistle came in at 49.8 kHz. When the seals harmonised multiple tones, the resultant sound may exceed 200 kHz, which is beyond what even cats and dogs can hear).
The discovery was the subject of a paper published online in the journal The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
Discovery of seal fossils leads to new revelations
The discovery of the extinct monk seal species came about after an international team of biologists examined seven fossil specimens (including a complete skull) found on south Taranaki beaches in New Zealand between 2009 and 2016.
Named Eomonachus belegaerensis, the new species was about 2.5m long and weighed around 200 to 250kg. It is believed to have lived in the waters around New Zealand three million years ago.
Of seals and their whiskers
Some land animals like rats and shrews use their whiskers to explore, forage and move around. For the first time, a team of researchers, led by Robyn Grant of Manchester Metropolitan University, were able to show that pinnipeds too use their whiskers in a similar fashion.
The study, published in the Journal of Comparative Physiology A sought to measure and compare whisker movements and control amongst three pinniped species—California sea lions, harbor seals and Pacific walruses.
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Rescuing Seals in Vladivostok
The larga is the spotted seal (Phoca largha) that lives in the North Pacific Ocean along the coasts of South Korea to Chukotka in Russia, and from Alaska to California in the United States. These seals choose coastal rocks in shallow bays for their rookeries. In winter time, larga seals spend a lot of time on ice near ice holes, or on floating ice floes along the coast. These seals feed on fishes, octopuses and shellfishes.
The Excitement of Sea Lion Dives
Keep an eye out for these behavior cues to make sure you are in place for the best interactions on your next sea lion dive.
The Sea Lions of Los Islotes
Underwater photographer Gregory Lecoeur journeys to Los Islotes off the coast of Baha, Mexico, in the Sea of Cortez, which is home to a colony of California sea lions.
Smart seals are using our pinging tags to find fish
The negative effects of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals can be pronounced, such as lethal whale strandings coinciding with exposure to military sonar. Acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) aim to elicit avoidance responses in aquatic predators, such as seals, and are currently being used to reduce depredation in fisheries. However, seals that have previously found fish at a location close to an ADD quickly habituate to these sounds.
Seals may utilize wind farms as hunting grounds
According to new research, offshore wind farms may become seal hunting grounds. Although the long-term environmental impact remains in question. Located offshore, wind farms are banks of wind turbines that harness the wind's energy to produce electricity.