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What Spooked The Subs Of The '60s? Quacking Whales

By Geoff Brumfiel
Published April 23, 2014 at 4:01 PM EDT

In the '60s, submarines picked up a mysterious quacking sound in the Southern Ocean. This "bio-duck," as it came to be known, has been heard on and off ever since, but scientists haven't been able to trace it — until now. New research shows that the quack is coming from minke whales, but researchers still don't know why.

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Science & Environment
Geoff Brumfiel
Geoff Brumfiel works as a senior editor and correspondent on NPR's science desk. His editing duties include science and space, while his reporting focuses on the intersection of science and national security.
See stories by Geoff Brumfiel