Documentary “The Loneliest Whale”: The Importance of Epic Stories to Raise Public Awareness

Never observed, this whale is known only by its songs, which resonate at a frequency of 52 Hz. This frequency does not match the vocalizations of any known large rorqual. Blue whales normally have more lower-pitched vocalizations in the range of 10 to 39 Hz. So is Whale 52 capable of communicating with other individuals, or does it feel lonely, calling out in the middle of the ocean but never getting a reply?

This potential loneliness has greatly moved audiences and inspired numerous artists since the animal was first discovered in 1989. This is what the documentary seeks to convey as it presents a series of discoveries pertaining to Whale 52.

Is it possible that this whale feels sad? This question is explored in detail in the film. As a matter of fact, Whales Onlinehas recently taken an interest in whale emotions!

The documentary features commentary by a number of researchers and presents the work they conducted during the expedition in search of Whale 52. On the plus side, the film illustrates the ups and downs experienced by scientists who work with whales.

However, greater effort could have been made to put the remarks made by the researchers into layman’s terms. The links between their observations at sea, the data they collect and the conclusions they draw are sometimes difficult to understand. The occasional switching between expedition footage and segments based on historical images may be a source of this confusion.

Nevertheless, the historical aspects incorporated into the documentary were most enjoyed by the team at Whales Online! We fully recommend that you take the plunge into this documentary and follow scientists and filmmakers in their quest to identify Whale 52.