國家地理:追逐抹香鯨的水下攝影師(3)

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Scientists know sperm whales as the ocean's largest toothed predators. They have the biggest brains of any known animal, can weigh up to 45 tons, and have been observed displaying humanlike qualities, such as curiosity and playfulness. But despite their size and their expressiveness, sperm whales remain one of the ocean's biggest mysteries. Do they share complex ideas? What are the dynamics in their family groups? And what goes on in those giant brains?

科學家知道抹香鯨是海洋中最大的有齒掠食者。它們的腦部是所有已知動物中最大的，體重可達45公噸，而且被觀察到顯露出類似人類的特質，例如擁有好奇心和彼此嬉鬧。但除了體型和善于表現的特質之外，抹香鯨仍是海洋中最大的謎團之一。它們會分享復雜的想法嗎？它們家庭團體之間的狀態(tài)為何？還有，他們巨大的大腦中還藏著什么秘密？

Almost all whales appear to be disturbed by loud sounds. A boat's motor or a scuba system's bubbles can interfere with the animal's click-based communication system. Free diving, the underwater equivalent of tiptoeing, is the best way for a professional like Skerry to approach them. Still, he says, "sometimes it's like chasing ghosts."

幾乎所有的鯨魚都會被巨大的聲響干擾。船只的發(fā)動機或水肺系統(tǒng)的氣泡，會干擾動物的點擊式通信系統(tǒng)。而自由潛水，則像是在水底踮著腳尖走路，對于斯科利這種專業(yè)人士來說是接近抹香鯨最好的方式。然而斯科利表示：“有時就像在追逐飄忽不定的魅影?！?/p>

Skerry lives in Maine, where he practices free diving in cold Atlantic waters, slowing his breathing sometimes for up to three minutes. Holding one's breath is as much the work of the mind as it is the lungs. In addition to staying in good physical shape, Skerry, 56, does meditation exercises to condition himself not to panic when his blood pressure drops and his lungs scream out. It's often in those moments when photographic magic happens. Skerry is partway through a three-year story project on whales for National Geographic. It has taken him all over the world: to Alaska to photograph humpbacks, to Canada for belugas, and to Norway for orcas.

斯科利住在美國緬因州，他在冰冷的大西洋海水中練習自由潛水，學著放緩呼吸，有時可憋氣達三分鐘。憋氣對心理和肺來說都是挑戰(zhàn)。除了保持良好的體態(tài)，56歲的斯科利也練習冥想，讓他能控制自己在血壓降低、肺快爆炸時不要驚慌，攝影的魔力通常就在那些時刻發(fā)生。斯科利正在為《國家地理》雜志進行一項為期三年的鯨魚拍攝計劃。這項計劃讓他跑遍全世界：到阿拉斯加拍攝座頭鯨、到加拿大拍攝白鯨、到挪威拍攝虎鯨。