Scientists have studied whales' hearing for the first time and were shocked by the result: how one of the smartest animals on Earth perceives the world

Scientists have for the first time purposefully captured minke whales for a short time to test their hearing. The study of two young males is being conducted amid concerns about the impact of ocean noise on some of the largest and most intelligent animals on Earth.

The results of the experiment surprised scientists. Scientists suggest that these marine creatures can hear at much higher frequencies than expected, NBC News reports.

In 2023, researchers captured two young whales off the coast of Norway and applied gold-plated electrodes to their skin with suction cups to study their brain waves while playing sound at different frequencies. Each young whale was at least 3.5 meters long and weighed about 1 ton.

Finally, scientists were able to make all the necessary observations and they surprised them.

"It was a bit shocking. They have ultrasonic hearing, which we think is probably related to avoiding killer whales as a primary predator because they use echolocation signals to hunt their prey at the same frequencies," said Dorian Houser, director of conservation biology at the National Marine Mammal Foundation and lead author of the study.

The surprising findings come amid growing concern about the effects of ocean noise from sources such as marine sonar, oil and gas exploration, and ship traffic, which can alter marine mammal behavior, cause hearing loss, and even kill them, the scientists emphasize.

According to the researchers, the new information could change what noisy activities are allowed in the ocean under the Marine Mammal Protection Act or lead to restrictions on some equipment.

The study also closes a chapter of deep divisions in the whale research community, experts say. After all, scientists have never before captured minke whales or tested their hearing.

Some scientists and activists strongly opposed the research effort out of fear that the whales would be stressed and might even die during their short stay in captivity.

However, a group of scientists assured that the whales would not be harmed, as they chose small whales for the study, which are easier to catch and later release.

Brandon Southall, a scientist and consultant who helped develop acoustic impact criteria for marine animals for federal regulators, said the new study did not measure the lowest ranges of whales' hearing abilities, which is more difficult because of the way neural signals operate in animal bodies.

However, he noted that low-frequency sounds, such as ship propellers or pile driving on the seabed for wind farms, travel long distances in the ocean and are likely to harm marine mammals.

Dorian Houser said the minke whale listening project is on hold. However, he would like to continue this topic if he can secure funding.

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