What Responsible Whale Watching Looks (and Sounds) Like

A blue whale is one of the loudest animals on the planet, producing calls up to about 180 decibels underwater. Many of its calls are extremely low-frequency, around 10 to 40 Hz, making them difficult or impossible for humans to hear without equipment. They also specialize in low-frequency hearing, and scientists think they hear best in roughly the same range as their calls — which overlaps with the frequencies produced by large ships.