# General > Biodiversity >  Sperm Whale.

## Seabird

Some times seen around the Caithness coast, but they are a deep water Whale that feeds mostly on large Squid.
This not so healthy looking whale was seen  and photographed by my wife Shirly Bird from the pier at Kirwall Harbour Orkney at 9.30am today.
Note the location of the blow hole right at the front of the left side of head in second pic





Colin
Caithness sea watching.

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## Kenn

I have a question.
What frequencies do whales use for their sonar and calls to each other, have you any idea?
What prompts the question is that whenever NATO and the like are up here on excercise there seems to be a problem with whale strandings and disorientation.

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## Anfield

According to a book entitled "Marine Mammals and Noise" page #239,  the hearing frequency of baleen whale sounds ranges from -65 Hz to well over 100kHz.  I can find no reports of the hearing ability of toothed whales, which genus, Sperm Whales  belong to

As well as the regular MOD "exercises" in Northern waters  there is also a commercial rocket testing site on Lewis which is operated by that well known arms dealer Qinetiq whose web site proudly boast that ".. _they have the ability to test, evaluate and assure every type of weapon system and air plat_form including helicopters, UAVs fast jets and heavy aircraft.."

As defence matters are regarded as secret we shall never know what type of "testing" this company is doing,  and what effect it is having on marine wildlife

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## Seabird

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_sounds

Click on the above link.

All cetraceans have slightly differing frequencies.

Colin

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## Seabird

It took some finding on the net, Sperm Whales seem to be about 22khz Anfield


Colin

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## Kenn

Interesting seabird, there are two current types of sonar that operate..1 at 22khz and another that covers 15 to 25....I have been wondering for a while about this and whether it would confuse cetaceans.
There would also be harmonics from other frequencies that would resonate at the levels whales etc are using.

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## Seabird

Low Frequency active Sonar will be the problem in the near future and that operates betwen 100-1000hz. its reported that it gives 0ver 160 desabels of noise at 3k. It's so pwerful that only one ship will be required to moniter submarine activity in the whole of the Atlantic and another for the Pacific, needless to say only 4 are being built by the USA.
I dont think the frequency is the problem it's the damage that is done to the cetacean ability to receive the signal back.
A bit like you hearing a loud noise, your hearing damage may be temporary then again the nearer you are to the noise the worse the damage.
You can imagin the effects this would have on you if you required your ears for navigation and finding your food. Having eyes in deep water wont help much thats for sure. This is just my theory but i think the Sperm Whale may have suffered damage to it's recepter (sonar or parasitic worm) and can't find it's food the deep water squid and it's lost it's bearings which has taken it well away from the areas where the squid is found which would explain it's poor condition, then the animal with it's eyes spotted a large object near the surface in the dark and followed it to Kirkwall harbour thinking it was another whale. For the whale to be in such poor condition would suggest the damage happened some time ago and it may never recover. We are seeing far to many Sperm Whales ending up on our beaches around the uk coast most many miles from where they should be. There are lots of web pages suggesting sonar is a problem but i did see one that said little is really know about how it effects cetaceans. We do know that sonar can kill humans if close to source

Colin
caithness sea watching.

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## Seabird

Sperm Whale reported by Orkney Birding Group off Newark Bay Orkney this morning.
The probability is very high that this is the same Whale seen off Kirkwall on the 12th.
The reports from experts who saw the Whale in Kirkwall said it was in poor health, if
it is the same whale it's future is not looking good.

Colin
caithness sea watching.

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