i had to share this here, it is so sad

THE LONELIEST WHALE IN THE WORLD !!!!
In 2004, The New York Times wrote an article about the loneliest whale in the world. Scientists have been tracking her since 1992 and they discovered the problem:
She isn’t like any other baleen whale. Unlike all other whales, she doesn’t have friends. She doesn’t have a family. She doesn’t belong to any tribe, pack or gang. She doesn’t have a lover. She never had one. Hersongs come in groups of two to six calls, lasting for five to six seconds each. But her voice is unlike any other baleen whale. It is unique—while the rest of her kind communicate between 12 and 25hz, she sings at 52hz. You see, that’s precisely the problem. No other whales can hear her. Every one of her desperate calls to communicate remains unanswered. Each cry ignored. And, with every lonely song, shebecomes sadder and more frustrated, her notes going deeper in despair as the years go by.
Just imagine that massive mammal, floating alone and singing—too big to connect with any of the beings it passes, feeling paradoxically small in the vast stretches of empty, open ocean.

that's awful!

Dang, that just depressed me.

awe - but I don't think the whale is exclusive to this kind of lonliness - and there's always a reason. It makes you wonder if the whale has been abused, or born with a brain defect, or painfully shy, or traumatized by something in life...or maybe it just got stinky fin pits.

paintedlady said:

Dang, that just depressed me.

Totally!!!!

The poor thing. That's an incredibly awful life.

maybe she is an asshole whale

seriously , that's sad

[Edited 6/11/12 5:52am]

What a sad story...I can see it now swimming around, not understanding why no other whale is picking up its signals...it's almost like the human world

god, this is the kind of story that makes a motherfucker want to slit his wrist.

That is quite possibly the saddest thing I have read in a..maybe, ever.

(but that might be because I have a vision of a gloomy ol' cartoon whale, with a sad face.Might not be as sad in real life)

This didnt make me sad, and I even cry at the ASPCA commercials... OMG am I becoming dead inside??

But seriously... This whale has lived its WHOLE life and not once ran into some other HUGE ass whales?? Ever??? Im not buyin it... It obviously wants to be alone...

that picture is extra-sad, it looks as if the whale is swimming in a river/lake or something (yeah, I know it's impossible), perhaps thinking that she will "find" whales there

but there's a thing I don't understand: what about eye contact? do whales only communicate with sounds?

tinaz said:

This didnt make me sad, and I even cry at the ASPCA commercials... OMG am I becoming dead inside??

But seriously... This whale has lived its WHOLE life and not once ran into some other HUGE ass whales?? Ever??? Im not buyin it... It obviously wants to be alone...

The ocean is pretty big. Even for a whale.

Running into other whales is not the problem. Being able to communicate is.

How are other whales going to react to a whale that apparently fails to communicate? Sign?

Red said:

awe - but I don't think the whale is exclusive to this kind of lonliness - and there's always a reason. It makes you wonder if the whale has been abused, or born with a brain defect, or painfully shy, or traumatized by something in life...or maybe it just got stinky fin pits.

Did you read the article?

They explained why.

This sounds like the whale could be deaf and whales rely on sonar and their hearing to communicate with one another.

This whale may have possibly been rejected from its own pod if its a female. Cows run in packs of sisters/mothers/calves and males stay alone for the most part.

at least stinky fin pits can be cured!

It would be nice if the scientists who track her would send out a recorded whale call and maybe help a sister out!

SUPRMAN said:

Red said:

awe - but I don't think the whale is exclusive to this kind of lonliness - and there's always a reason. It makes you wonder if the whale has been abused, or born with a brain defect, or painfully shy, or traumatized by something in life...or maybe it just got stinky fin pits.

Did you read the article?

They explained why.

Do you think her calls are so high because she can't hear?

seriously. Eye contact? anyone?

JoeTyler said:

seriously. Eye contact? anyone?

I guess that would depend on the clarity of the water, and the whales would have to be pretty close to one another to see each other.

I don't think a whale could see another whale in the northern darker seas a mile away. The whale would have to depend on sound in order to locate and STAY with other whales. Eco location... especially in the whale sinks into the ocean to hunt for food. I think if I remember correctly the baleen whales scrape the bottoms of shallow coasts to kick up algae, krill and other crustacea.This kicks up sand and debris and makes the water quite cloudy... making it hard to keep an eye on other whales.

My guess is that her contact with other whales is very brief and she can't keep up with them because she loses them often causing her to end up alone as herds of pods move on.

If she goes into heat (do whales go into heat?) will a male sniff her out?

paintedlady said:

JoeTyler said:

seriously. Eye contact? anyone?

I guess that would depend on the clarity of the water, and the whales would have to be pretty close to one another to see each other.

I don't think a whale could see another whale in the northern darker seas a mile away. The whale would have to depend on sound in order to locate and STAY with other whales. Eco location... especially in the whale sinks into the ocean to hunt for food. I think if I remember correctly the baleen whales scrape the bottoms of shallow coasts to kick up algae, krill and other crustacea.This kicks up sand and debris and makes the water quite cloudy... making it hard to keep an eye on other whales.

My guess is that her contact with other whales is very brief and she can't keep up with them because she loses them often causing her to end up alone as herds of pods move on.

If she goes into heat (do whales go into heat?) will a male sniff her out?

yeah

imago said:

god, this is the kind of story that makes a motherfucker want to slit his wrist.

...just like reading one of your threads.

paintedlady said:

JoeTyler said:

seriously. Eye contact? anyone?

I guess that would depend on the clarity of the water, and the whales would have to be pretty close to one another to see each other.

I don't think a whale could see another whale in the northern darker seas a mile away. The whale would have to depend on sound in order to locate and STAY with other whales. Eco location... especially in the whale sinks into the ocean to hunt for food. I think if I remember correctly the baleen whales scrape the bottoms of shallow coasts to kick up algae, krill and other crustacea.This kicks up sand and debris and makes the water quite cloudy... making it hard to keep an eye on other whales.

My guess is that her contact with other whales is very brief and she can't keep up with them because she loses them often causing her to end up alone as herds of pods move on.

If she goes into heat (do whales go into heat?) will a male sniff her out?

Yeah I would agree that sound is imperative for them...and since THEY can't hear HER, she is ignored.

why dont the scientists impregnate it instead of just watching it live a lonely life????

ThisOne said:

why dont the scientists impregnate it instead of just watching it live a lonely life????

because she won't be able to communicate with her baby and it will probably get lost and die

ZombieKitten said:

ThisOne said:

why dont the scientists impregnate it instead of just watching it live a lonely life????

because she won't be able to communicate with her baby and it will probably get lost and die

but dont they attach themselves onto one another???

ThisOne said:

ZombieKitten said:

because she won't be able to communicate with her baby and it will probably get lost and die

but dont they attach themselves onto one another???

I think only while the baby feeds

ZombieKitten said:

ThisOne said:

but dont they attach themselves onto one another???

I think only while the baby feeds

i thought it lasted 4 about 2 years!!! but im sure im wrong

nevertheless if i were that whale id have the the baby just to feel the loove and closeness a baby brings - even if it was for just a short time.................