Speaking the Language of Whales

Posted on May 19, 2007

AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach

Whale tales:  Bernie Krause says he’s able to communicate to leviathans such as this humpback, waving its tail at nearby whale watchers.

“Whale whisperer” Bernie Krause is attempting to save an injured mother humpback whale and her calf near Sacramento, Calif., where they hit a dead end in the San Jose River Delta.  Krause is talking to the whales using recordings of humpback calls—a strategy he used before to successfully reroute a wayward whale.

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Los Angeles Times:

On Friday, Krause and a team of scientists tried, for the second straight day, to reprise that success. But the two whales weren’t taking the bait.

“The animals are just not responding,” Krause said. “It might be from the noise of the boats or aircraft flying overhead or from the effects of their injuries. We just don’t know.”

Humphrey spent 26 days wandering inland waters, but experts worry that the mother and her calf don’t have that much time.

Although the adult humpback’s wounds are not life-threatening, officials aren’t so sure about the calf, which they believe was nursing when the propeller struck the pair.

The whales’ injuries have added pressure and drama to the rescue effort as dozens of reporters wait for updates near the Port of Sacramento and hundreds of onlookers watch from a nearby levee.

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