Published Friday 15 January 2010 | Jens Holbech

“The Ferrari of the whales” is the way zoologist Peter Teglberg Madsen describes the pilot whale. Its body is built to exert a phenomenal sprint when hunting squid deep down in the ocean.

In this radio programme, Associate Professor Madsen, Department of Biological Sciences, explains how the whales (which after all are mammals with lungs just like us humans) are capable of remaining underwater for long periods – up to more than an hour. And as if that is not enough – they can perform extremely energy-intensive manoeuvres while holding their breath.
Some species take it easy and save energy when diving for long periods. Others of them show top exertion for a short time. Some species dive for a long time and hunt slower prey, while others surprise fast-moving prey in a short outburst of hectic activity. Associate Professor Madsen describes in detail the way pilot whales, bowhead whales, beaked whales and humpback whales catch their prey, and plays examples of his sound recordings from the depths.

Hear the 42-minute broadcast at DR’s website (in Danish only) www.dr.dk/P1/Natursyn/Udsendelser/2010/01/05140711.htm