With the engines stopped, the stillness surprised us. Here, far out to sea, the ocean surface was unusually flat . . . and quiet. We were encircled by a wall of thick fog. This was a bit unsettling. Then we heard it!

It sounded like a heavy breath, thick with water. It was soon followed by another breath—softer, but with a slight gurgling sound. A third breath surprised us, arising from the opposite side of the boat.

"Three o'clock!" called the lookout. We rushed to the starboard side of the vessel. There, breaking out of the fog, was a group of humpback whales. Incredible. Swimming alongside our vessel, these huge marine mammals were an awesome sight. They are also the subjects of Dr. Leila Hatch's research.

Leila is an Ocean Noise Specialist. She studies sound waves in the ocean and how they affect animals. On this cruise, she is releasing a special tool called a pop-up, designed by Cornell University's Bioacoustics Research Program. The pop-up contains a sound recorder. Once deployed, the pop-up will remain on the bottom of the sea detecting and recording the sounds of its surroundings. Later, it will be retrieved and Leila will analyze the data to learn more about underwater sounds. She uses her research to help protect the marine environment.