Experts worried after 4 dead gray whales wash up around San Francisco
Four dead gray whales have washed up on the shores of the San Francisco Bay Area in just eight days, prompting fears that the species is under threat from human…
Continue readingDid you know? Killer whales are actually part of the dolphin family
By Alexander McNamara and Matt Hambly Tom Brakefield/Alamy Orcas (orcinus orca) are aquatic mammals that can grow up to 8 metres in length, with a dorsal fin that stands up…
Continue readingOrcas: Facts about killer whales
Orcas (Orcinus orca) are often called killer whales, even though they almost never attack humans. In fact, the killer whale name was originally “whale killer,” as ancient sailors saw them…
Continue readingPilot Whales Show Possible Orca-Mimicking Repertoire
Southern long-finned pilot whales are marine mammals with a lot to say—and they may use vocalizations to outsmart a deadly foe. Cetaceans such as whales, dolphins and porpoises communicate through…
Continue readingSperm whales outwitted 19th-century whalers by sharing evasive tactics
Catching a sperm whale during the 19th century was much harder than even Moby Dick showed it to be. That’s because sperm whales weren’t just capable of learning the best…
Continue readingSperm whales have a surprisingly deep—and useful—culture
Sperm whales are a rare sight. (Pxhere/) Hal Whitehead, a biologist at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, has spent decades following sperm whales around on boats, trying to figure out…
Continue readingHow Ancient ‘Deer’ Lost Their Legs and Became Whales
Over millions of years, they traded in their legs for flippers, gained blow holes and evolved into the largest creatures on Earth.
Continue readingWhales and dolphins can resist cancer and their DNA reveals why
By Krista Charles A mother sperm whale and her young calf Franco Banfi / naturepl.com Whales, dolphins and porpoises are much better at fighting cancer than we are, and now…
Continue reading40 beached whales ‘refloated’ in New Zealand
Hundreds of people in New Zealand worked together to successfully “refloat” 40 long-finned pilot whales that stranded on a remote beach, meaning they returned the animals to open water, The…
Continue readingWhales’ Long, Loud Calls Reveal Structure beneath Ocean Floor
Scientists investigating a seismic fault off the U.S. West Coast have an unlikely new ally in their quest to create images of the Earth’s crust deep beneath the ocean: Fin…
Continue reading2 calves of one of world’s most endangered large whales spotted
Two rare newborn North Atlantic right whale calves were recently spotted in U.S. waters, according to news reports. This is hopeful news, as the North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis)…
Continue readingWhat’s Killing Killer Whales? Autopsies Reveal a Role for Humans
Postmortem examination of J34, an 18-year-old male southern resident killer whale that stranded near Sechelt, British Columbia, on December 21, 2016, shows he died from trauma from a collision with…
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