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Synchronized underwater acoustic and surface video recording presented below chronicled gunshots and behavior as a mother interacted with a surface buoy in the forward path of her and the calf (Video file 1). The social and behavioral context of these gunshot calls naturally precludes any reproductive function or specific communication signaling by the female toward any individuals other than her calf. Isolation, quiet gunshots, and the whales’ overall acoustic quiescence may function in predator avoidance and serve to minimize acoustic detection or harassment by adult males, juveniles and other conspecifics in the area. The mothers and calves are predominantly silent during the first six weeks of development, and exhibit only low intensity social calls as calves mature. Daylight observations and acoustic recording in the southeast critical calving habitat indicate that each mother and calf pair functioned as “ isolated social dyads or islands” and actively avoided other whales. The significantly lower intensity “ quiet gunshots” emitted by the mothers posed minimal risk of injury to nearby calves and also resulted in relatively small detection ranges, both of which would be beneficial for mothers trying to protect their calves. JKirsch 62438 4/5 Attribution 3.0 MP5 MP5 small arms machine gun firing burst rounds. This things sound so large you could almost use it as a tank firing sound effect. While a specific articulation site or mechanism for gunshot production is unknown, the ability to vary intensity of impulsive sounds lends support to Parks et al (2005) who suggested there is a unique anatomical trait within balaenid whale species which enabled the internal production of these impulsive gunshot sounds. Huge gunshot sound from a M-82 Barrett 50 Caliber Sniper Rifle. However, the (female) gunshot calls are orders of magnitude quieter (-30dB). The spectral and temporal characteristics of these female gunshots resemble those attributed to adult males in the Bay of Fundy (Parks et.al., 2005) and those recorded from surface active groups in the southeast critical calving habitat (Trygonis et.al., 2013).
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Sub sonic rounds gain far more silencing than supersonic rounds. Tests have shown some silencers actually make it louder if they are not carefully paired and properly installed. However, they were not overtly effective as call back signals (during our observations) as the calves continued unabated on their forward paths of exploration. A silencer only reduces the noise of a gun, at least theoretically. The social and behavioral context of female gunshots suggest these calls were associated with maternal alarm and or communication directed toward their calves. Most of the gunshots were emitted by mothers when their young (1-6 week old) calves separated from them during the calves’ curious (exploratory) approaches toward objects on the surface. Of 32 different isolated mother-calf pairs, gunshots were recorded from six identified females of varied ages and maternal experience.