Whale Detectives Use Chemistry Clues to Uncover the Secret Lives of Beaked Whales

Abstract

Have you ever heard of a beaked whale? These fascinating but mysterious whales live far away from shore and stay under water for a long time, so it is challenging for scientists to learn about them. Some species of beaked whales are so mysterious that scientists have never even seen them alive! To help learn about beaked whales, scientists can study special chemicals, called stable isotopes, in the tissues of these whales to learn where they have been living. These whale detectives work with museums and coastal communities to get tiny pieces of whale skin, muscle, and bone, which the detectives then examine for stable isotopes. Using these chemistry clues, the whale detectives discovered that some beaked whales live in one area their entire lives. The whale detectives can use this information to find and study beaked whales in the wild and answer more questions about their lives.