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Why Sperm Whales Blow Bubbles While Sleeping
Researchers tracked 42 whales and found they vent gas up to 11 times per resting dive to stay neutrally buoyant.
- Researchers from the University of St Andrews and University in Neuchâtel discovered that sperm whales vent gas during vertical sleep dives to maintain neutral buoyancy.
- Because sperm whales possess large, buoyant heads, they naturally rotate into a head-up posture while sleeping, requiring them to release gas to prevent floating to the surface.
- The team monitored 42 sperm whales in Norway's Lofoten Islands, recording bubbles during nearly 92 percent of rest periods with an average of about eight releases per resting dive.
- A computer model confirmed this mechanism, showing simulated whales without gas adjustments rose faster than real subjects, with estimated gas volume falling 5.2 percent between dive sections.
- Professor Patrick Miller of the University of St Andrews questions whether whales remain cognitively aware of their depth while sleeping, seeking brain-wave measurements to confirm full-brain sleep.
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Why sperm whales blow bubbles while sleeping
Researchers believe that the ocean giants doze underwater for 10 to 15 minutes at a time with their heads facing upward.
·Chariton, United States
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At about 25 meters under the waves, a herd of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) floats in a vertical position as if it were holding the ocean. They sleep with their heads up, avoiding the turbulent waters of the surface but keeping close enough to breathe fresh air when they need it. Rest is brief, about ten or fifteen minutes are enough for them. However, one detail has puzzled the researchers. The head of a sperm whale is huge — it occupie…
·Madrid, Spain
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Total News Sources51
Leaning Left5Leaning Right16Center21Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
12%
C 50%
R 38%
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