McMurdo Oceanographic Observatory Releases Recording of Antarctic Orca Sounds

National Science Foundation
Office of Polar Programs
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230

Posted February 19, 2019

Researchers with the OPP-funded McMurdo Oceanographic Observatory at NSF's McMurdo Station, Antarctica have released a 100-minute recording of the world's southernmost killer whales. The animals visited the research site after the sea-ice cover broke out in a summer wind storm on Feb. 3, allowing them to access the open water.

The recording was made on Feb. 15.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29neQ5mLT5E&feature=youtu.be

The audio is presented at normal speed - it is exactly what you would hear if you were listening under the water yourself. A hissing sound every 90 seconds comes from the pump on MOO’s seawater sensors. The researchers note that older people may have trouble hearing sounds above 10 kHz.

The large predators are roughly one to two kilometers from the underwater microphone.

MOO previously recorded the sounds of Weddell seals in McMurdo Sound. Those files are posted at moo-antarctica.net/audio.

MOO is managed by Paul A. Cziko at the University of Oregon