Do they use some type of acoustic depth finder to swim along a coast line? Is there any research that says they can sense echoes bounced off the bottom in order to determine depth?
There is limited evidence for biomagnetism in humpbacks: Bauer, G.B., Fuller, M., Perry, A., Dunn, J.R., and Zoeger, J. (1986). Magnetoreception and biomineralization of magnetite in cetaceans. In J.L. Kirshvink, D.S. Jones, & B.J. McFadden (Eds.), _Magnetite Biomineralization and Magnetoreception in Living Organisms (pp. 489-508). New York: Plenum Press.
I don’t know. But maybe they use to navigate the so-called coastal effect of marine electric currents. As far as I know, the coastal effect was first observed by my colleague Dr. Mansurov in the sixties of the last century during geoelectromagnetic research in Antarctica.
Anatol Guglielmi
Kirshvink writes such complex concepts--I find him difficult to read or believe. He wrote that some species of odontoceti tended to strand at geomagnetic lows while other species tended to strand at geomagnetic highs. His work was never duplicated. I want to think that great whales can measure depth by the time it takes for a LF signal to hit bottom and bounce back. I want to think that they form memories of the LF noise coming from seismic hotspots, such as earthquake-prone mid-ocean ridges. Mc Graft recorded 500 earthquakes along one section of a ridge in less than one hour. I want to think they can calculate their position by triangulating 2 or 3 noisy places. I want to think they can listen to the different sounds of breaking waves along the shoreline and maybe know where they are by the unique sound of a particular beach. I do know for a fact that one criteria of a mysticeti calving ground is that it be free from whale-dangerous earthquakes.
Has anyone written about a working biosonar in mysticeti?
Dear Dr. Zabrodskii,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Anatol Guglielmi
Dear Capt. David Williams,
Your question is very good, and your general view on the role of seismicity in navigation is fresh and interesting. However, being magnetologist and seismologist, I know that checking the ideas of this kind will require a lot of effort and money.
In any case, thank you for a stimulating discussion.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Prof. Anatol Guglielmi
Dear Professor Guglielmi;
I will add one more bold statement. I am certain that mysticeti whales can detect major earthquakes 3 weeks in advance. The proof is in the fact that they have flourished for 55 million years in a seismically-active environment. The only way they could have lasted so long was to be able to move away weeks before a major seafloor upheaval. I believe they can lead us to the Holy Grail of seismology, but it will not be an easy path to follow.
Merry Christmas to you and yours,
David
Dear David,
Your statement is extremely interesting and exciting!
Regards,
Anatol
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