Canadian army investigates 'pinging' noise that scares away animals in depths of the Arctic sea
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Your support makes all the difference.The Canadian army sent a squad to investigate a mysterious “beeping” sound reportedly emanating from the depths of the Arctic sea.
A remote hunting community in Nunavut, on the edges of the Arctic Circle, were baffled by a sound also described as a “hum” and a “pinging” throughout the summer.
The eerie whining has allegedly scared away animals from a popular fishing spot that is ordinarily a hive of mammal activity.
“That’s one of the major hunting areas in the summer and winter because it’s a polynya,” said Paul Quassa, a member of the Nunavut legislative assembly.
“And this time around, this summer, there were hardly any. And this became a suspicious thing.”
Various people called a radio station to report the noise, heard in the Fury and Hecla Strait, once returning to the nearest hamlet of Igloolik roughly 75 miles southeast.
Theories include suggestions an iron mining company could be conducting sonar surveys.
The Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation however told CBC News it had no equipment in the water.
Another theory speculated that Greenpeace was potentially generating the sound to terrify the wildlife away.
Mr Quassa said: “We’ve heard in the past of groups like Greenpeace putting in some kinds of sonars in the seabed to get the sea mammals out of the way so Inuit won’t be able to hunt them.
“[But] nobody has ever seen any type of ship or anything going through that area and putting something down.”
Greenpeace spokesman Farrah Khan vehemently denied the organisation having any involvement.
The strait however is a popular migration route for bowhead whales, bearded seals and ringed seals.
In a statement, Department of National Defence spokesman Ashley Lemire said: “The Canadian armed forces are aware of allegations of unusual sounds emanating from the seabed in the Fury and Hecla Strait in Nunavut.
“The air crew performed various multi-sensor searches in the area, including an acoustic search for 1.5 hours, without detecting any acoustic anomalies.
“The crew did not detect any surface or subsurface contacts.
“The crew did observe two pods of whales and six walruses in the area of interest.
“At this time the Department of National Defence does not intend to do any further investigations.”
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