NationalGeographic.com reports:

Ever since Luke Skywalker fired up his lightsaber, the sounds of Star Wars movies have been mimicked by battling boys the world over. Now, a scientist believes male dwarf minke whales may make a sci-fi sound to attract females.

In 2001 ocean scientist Jason Gedamke discovered that dwarf minke whales are the source of a mysterious ba-ba-boinnnngggg noise that scientists have heard in the oceans for more than 25 years.

The sound is like a mix between beating on an oil drum and firing a laser gun, Gedamke said. When he initially heard the reverberation while he was on a boat off Australia, he called it the Star Wars sound. The name stuck.

"The very first time I heard it, I didn't believe it could possibly be from a whale, because it sounded so absurd," he said. "I thought it must have been something from the ship."

Since identifying the dwarf minke whales as the futuristic noise's makers, Gedamke has continued to study and track the whales. His research suggests that they make the Star Wars sound to maintain space between each other.

Hit the link above to read more. Thanks to Justin for the alert.