On our afternoon tour yesterday, the sea was nice and flat. We navigated and could observe a big pod of Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis), socializing.
Our Skipper Nuno introduced the hydrophone in the water in order to listen to the dolphins echolocating.
Somebody asked me how does a hydrophone really work ? And here is the answer…
A Hydrophone is a microphone that collects sound, sound also exists underwater. Actually our oceans are quite noisy. The hydrophone amplifies the sound heard underwater, basically to make it really easy it translates the pressure difference and the sound wavelength that hits the electrical sensor.
The hydrophones that we use are able to detect sound 10 meters underwater, the clicks of the animals are so strong that we are really able to hear our underwater friends making the experience so intense. They are also a very useful tool in order to hear the “clicks” made by the Sperm whales. It is always so exciting to put inn the hydrophone underwater to see if there are any animals around. The feeling of putting the hydrophone in the water and hearing those clicks, let me tell you one thing “It’s amazing”!!!!!
Hydrophone -photo by zetlab
