Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have identified the source of a mysterious sound, known as the "boing," originating from the depths of the Mariana Trench. First recorded in 2014 during acoustic monitoring of the trench, the sound had puzzled scientists for years.
Using artificial intelligence to analyze over 200,000 hours of audio recordings, the NOAA team determined that the "boing" is a call produced by Bryde's whales. By comparing the sound to the whales' migration patterns, researchers found that the unique bio-acoustic signal is only heard in the western Pacific Ocean and is specific to a distinct population of Bryde's whales.
While the exact reason for the unusual call remains unknown, further research is planned to gather more information about this fascinating phenomenon. Scientists emphasize that the consistent detection of this sound suggests it is a regular part of the Bryde's whale communication repertoire.