The story of the saddest whale

The saddest whale on the planet has no name, although scientists and biologists know it better as “the 52 Hertz whale.” Because? Because this is the frequency it uses to sing. And that is possibly the characteristic why she has always remained in restricted solitude since she was discovered.

The rest of the whales, such as blue whales for example, use a song that falls within frequencies ranging from 15 to 25 Hz. But never all 52. It is something strange and unique within the world of the sea… only she, only this beautiful creature of the ocean is capable of raising her sad melodies of love through the aquatic world without ever hearing a response to her calls. To her words.

Today, we invite you to meet the saddest whale in the world…

The whale that sings at a frequency of 52 Hz

As you already know, whales are incredibly beautiful creatures that have a very clear characteristic: they are social animals that have a unique and special language. It is more than common for them to raise their songs in the vast immensity of the ocean to look for a partner, to stay connected and unite in those large groups that we are sometimes lucky enough to observe.

We humans have always been intrigued by their songs. They relax us, fascinate us and awaken in us an immense desire to know what they say, what they express. In fact, it was in 1989 when The United States Navy began analyzing its singing frequencies already trying to find out how they articulate their language and what purpose they have.

Have we achieved anything since then? Very little, the truth is, it is still a nice enigma to unravel day by day. But one thing is clear, that language unites families. It is used to find a mate and to keep their young close, as well as to orient themselves in the sea. And many even “mourn” their dead.

When did it all start?

The case of this solitary whale appeared in the late 1980s. It was Dr. William Watkins, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who found the record of the song of a whale that was very different from that of the others. Too high, extremely high to tell the truth, nothing more and nothing less than 52 Hz.

The interest aroused by the scientific community was so great that they set out to monitor the animal over several years. In fact, The findings of Dr. Watkins’ team were published in 2004, hoping that it would barely have an impact on the general public.. It was just the case of a whale that always swam alone. A whale that spent much of its time singing in its “too high vocal scale,” never finding a response.

But without knowing very well how, that report aroused great interest, and immediately the legend of the “lone whale” arose..

Destined for a life of solitude, for having a different language

The “52 hz” whale is different, no one can deny it. In fact, biologists cannot specify what its species is either, perhaps it is a hybrid or a unique race whose origin is not known.. Speak a language that no one understands and swims across the oceans without finding a group to join, or a partner to procreate with. A sad, very sad story that immediately connected with the public.

Scientists follow it regularly, also discovering that this animal has a migration route different from that of any other known whale. Why does he do this? Why does it also have such a different communication capacity and why does it travel along routes that other whales do not know?

Some scientists tell us it may be much more than the world’s saddest whale. It is even possible that this beautiful animal is the last survivor of an unidentified species. A being that wanders the oceans raising an out-of-tune song and following the path that its species traveled in the past. And of which, there is no one else but her. Our lonely whale.

A curious reflection

Marine biologist Mary Ann Daher of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts is the co-author of the original research on the discovery of this whale. It is she herself who tells us the following:

It seems that the story of the solitary whale represents a curious reflection of the situation that many people are going through. Indifference, incomprehension, loneliness, apathy… How many people have been able to identify with this story? How many of us speak and seem not to be understood? Without a doubt, this is a fact that many of us can quickly empathize with.

However, there is a key difference. The whale seems to belong to a different species, we, on the other hand, are part of the same species: the human. So, if we feel identified with this story, perhaps we should rethink whether the steps we are taking are the right ones. Because on many occasions, we ourselves are the ones who distance ourselves from others, believing that they are the ones who do not understand us.

Something that, without a doubt, should make us think.