Blue whales congregate off the coast of Canada each year when large nu

Question

Blue whales congregate off the coast of Canada each year when large numbers of certain small fish gather to spawn. Blue whales are known to be highly social, using a wide range of loud sounds to communicate over great distances. Some of their most boisterous sounds have been recorded while they are feeding, which leads scientists to believe that they occasionally exhibit pack hunting behavior, not unlike wolves and killer whales.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the explanation given for the blue whale's behavior off Canada's coast?

A. Blue whales go months at a time without finding sufficient sources of food.
B. Adult blue whales in the same pod have been known to coordinate their movements to protect their youngest members from killer whale attack.
C. Sudden loud sounds can confuse and disorient small fish. 
D. The fish in the argument see the whales as a predator and do their best to avoid them.
E. Blue whales do not typically emit the same sounds when they are feeding on krill in more tropical regions.

Raisakatyal · Answer

Hi, can someone pls explain this question in detail

cyrwr1 · Answer

I am not sure how C applies here.

Sudden sounds CAN; this doesn't mean they generally/tend to confuse prey.
Also, the passage talks about sounds emitted during feeding, not hunting and the conclusion is that they hunt in packs.

Vartika2525 · Answer

I marked C bcoz the passage says that blue whales are highly social....and they might like the presence of small fish and C says that sudden sound can confuse and disorient small fish....so if they like there presence then why they will do such behaviour that will scare them.

pls correct me if my reasoning is wrong.

pls correct me if my reasoning is wrong.

AA112023 · Answer

I understand that Option C says fish can be disoriented but that doesn't mean they would leave which would then negatively effect the whale's feeding.
Hence I picked D. Please help explain why C is correct.

ShreyaG7 · Answer

@KarishmaB @Bunuel Can you please explain why C is the right answer and not B? Since B here provides an alternate explanation for the loud noise?

ReedArnoldMPREP · Answer

Does it? Where are we told killer whales are also off the coast of Canada along with the killer whales, or that young blue whales are at risk of killer whale attacks at this time and location?

shreyash3923 · Answer

Option C most seriously calls into question by stating that sudden loud sounds confuse and disorient small fish. It implies that boisterous sounds hinder rather than aid coordinated pack hunting.

Other options fail to challenge the explanation.

Blue whales congregate off the coast of Canada each year when large nu

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Blue whales congregate off the coast of Canada each year when large nu

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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