TAMPA, Fla. (WSVN) — A Florida woman is on a mission to make sense of a mysterious drumming sound that erupted from the water near her home, but experts believe it could be a mating call for fish.
“It’s just like a low hum or a vibration more than it is a noise,” said Sara Healy.
According to Dr. James Locascio, the sound phenomenon was once referred to as the Punta Gorda growl.
“So down there, it’s been going on or known about for a long time,” he said.
After recording similar sounds for nearly two decades for a dissertation, Dr. Locascio believes the noise could be the black drum fish producing bass sounds during mating season.
“Other people in the mom group have described it as rattling their windows and waking up their family members, keeping them from falling asleep,” explained Healy.
While Dr. Locascio has his scientific explanation, some have their own theory as to what is causing the noise.
“The most common belief is that this is just a party or it’s a boat somewhere that’s blasting some music. Has some serious bass going on,” said Healy.
There are more colorful explanations, like testing at MacDill Air Force Base.
“Or it could be something more exciting like aliens,” she said as she smiles and laughed.
Locascio, a senior scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory, says he has the likely answer, suggesting black drum fish that produces a bass sound during mating season could be the source.
Captain Dustin Pack of Fly Tide Charters captured the distinctive sound produced by black drum fish during mating season, which sounds exactly like those Healy is curious about.
“There are a lot of different sound producers. Invertebrates produce sound. Many fishes produce sound. Marine mammals produce sound,” explained Dr. Locascio.
A video shows a school of the black drum fish shot by a see-through canoe near Madeira Beach. You can imagine how much sound they all produce together.
Sara wants an answer so badly she started a GoFundMe in January to raise money needed for Dr. Locascio to do more research using his underwater microphones.
“It feels like a fun adventure that I can really get behind just to help the community and further science and maybe learn something in the process,” said Healy.
Once analyzed, they could finally get an answer as to what the mysterious sound really is.
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