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Article: D-tags record in-depth data of beaked whales in the depths.(RESEARCH NEWS)
- Article from:
- Oceanus
- Article date:
- July 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Which air-breathing animal holds the record for diving deeper and longer than any other?
Using digital tags temporarily suction-cupped to whales, researchers led by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution tracked Cuvier's beaked whales diving to depths of nearly 6,230 feet (1,900 meters) and staying down for 85 minutes.
"These data establish beaked whales as the extreme breath-hold champions of all animals studied so far," said WHOI engineer Mark Johnson, who developed the "D-tags," which record whale movements, their echolocations, and other underwater sounds.
"Because these animals spend so much of their lives under water, we knew ...