Dose of Awe: Mysterious marine sounds identified

For as long as anyone can remember, people living along certain coastlines would report hearing strange, otherworldly sounds drifting across the water late at night.

The sound was deep and rumbling, like distant thunder, and no one quite knew where it was coming from.

Now, scientists have traced these so-called “sea thrums” to humpback whales. This is a new sound to add to humpback whale vocabulary that includes hoots, howls, and other calls that can be heard for kilometres. 

Better understanding these sounds could also help researchers track whales and reduce deadly collisions with ships.