But what they lacked in answers, Zeman notes, people more than made up for in enthusiasm. Despite the lack of tangible information, Watkins continued his search for years-mostly in the Gulf of Alaska and North Pacific-but unfortunately passed away in 2004, leaving the case unsolved.Ĭould other whales hear “52”? Was he plaintively and regularly calling out but never getting a response? Did he feel isolated? Could he feel loneliness? Eleven years after Watkins’ death, the nautical puzzle had attained mythical status but most had resigned themselves to the fact there would always be more questions about “52” than answers. “52” is thought to be male, as only male whales of certain species use “song” as a regular form of vocalization. Sight and smell are, for obvious reasons, less reliable senses for marine mammals as a whole and most rely on sound to communicate and feed. The investigation was made all the more difficult by the fact no one had seen the whale, so the species was undetermined. He also noted that the sound bore a striking similarity to the calls of both blue and fin whales but was much, much higher-a discovery which led to years of research to find and identify the source. William “Bill” Watkins was able to study and confirm the sound as biologic. First thought to be mechanical in nature, Dr. In 1989, the equipment picked up an odd sound at the frequency of 52 hertz.
THE LONELIEST WHALE SERIES
set up a series of underwater listening devices ( S.O.S.U.S.) to track any approaching Soviet submarines. As a part of their secretive system, the U.S. The discovery of this unusual creature can, somewhat oddly, be traced back to the Cold War. Navy have been hearing, but never seeing, a solitary creature that calls out at a frequency that no other whale uses. For the past 30 years, maritime researchers, scientists, and even the U.S. Īmong the scientific community and beyond, the whale known only as “52” has become a true legend. Without that, what are we? That’s the existential question at the heart of Joshua Zeman’s new documentary, The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52, which deals with a different mammal entirely.
To feel essential, to give ourselves meaning. We make personal connections, relationships, families, and even communities to feel a part of something. Human beings are generally understood to be social creatures. “What we can hear in the ocean is much more powerful than what we can see.”
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