Lone whale is found singing solo

A lone whale singing solos in the ocean is baffling scientists because of its unusual voice.

The whale, thought to be one of the baleen or toothless species, sings at a high pitch of 52 hertz, unlike any other whale scientists have ever heard.

Most whales call to each other at a frequency of between 15 and 20 hertz. They use some higher pitches, but not 52 hertz, says New Scientist magazine.

The creature has been recorded roaming the ocean for the last 12 years.

Try our whale and dolphin quiz

It was identified by researchers listening to lots of data recorded by the US Navy's submarine-tracking system.

Over the years the whale's voice has deepened slightly but experts reckon it's still the same mammal.

In another confusing detail, the lone whale's paths across the sea do not match the migration patterns of any other species.

The research, by scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the USA, appears in the New Scientist magazine.