Latest Whale Stories
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online When University of Washington marine biologist Kate Stafford set out to record whale songs in the remote, icy waters off the coast of Greenland, she had no idea that her microphones would pick up a chorus of bowhead whales, potentially signifying a resurgence of the endangered animal. Stafford detailed the five winter months of nearly 60 unique songs in an article published this week in the open-access journal Endangered Species...
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online As humpback whales struggle to recover from 20th century whaling that severely depleted their numbers, scientists have found that the aquatic mammals reside in the bays along the Western Antarctic Peninsula into late austral autumn where they feast on a bounty of cold-water krill. According to a new study by Duke University scientists, these habits contradict previous theories on humpback whale behavior, which stated that the whales...
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online The fin whale, like many other whales, was decimated by whaling throughout the 19th and 20th century — to the point of being considered officially endangered and being placed on the IUCN Red List. This status is determined primarily by calculating a species population and a new study suggests that scientists may have overestimated the whale’s already diminished numbers in the Mediterranean. For years, it was believed that fin...
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online After experiencing some heavy criticism, the South Korean government is looking to cancel a controversial plan to hunt whales for scientific purposes, according to a new report. A senior government official who spoke to Yonhap News, South Korea’s largest news agency, on the condition of anonymity said the controversy surrounding the policy was a major factor in the decision, which has yet to be formally announced. "Discussions...
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online Because extremely loud noises can travel underwater for thousands of miles, they cause over a quarter-million sea creatures to suffer some kind of hearing loss every year, a number experts warn is on the rise. The good news is that whales are able to consciously decrease their hearing sensitivity and prevent hearing loss if given ample warning of an impending loud noise, according to a pair of marine biologists who published their...
MIAMI, July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Once upon a time there was a little mermaid who lived in a castle under the sea. All she wanted was to rise up to the surface and meet a human being... This tale is told to children around the world time and time again. It's a pretty story about a legendary creature that appears in the mythology of almost all cultures, but... is there any truth to the legend? "SIRENAS," premiering Sunday, July 22 at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery en Espanol, takes...
A baby male beluga whale, discovered by a pair of Alaskan fishermen after it got separated from its mother shortly after its birth, remains under 24-hour care as marine mammal specialists from throughout the country continue to help nurse the newborn back to health. Staff members at the Alaska SeaLife Center research and rehabilitation center in Seward, Alaska -- where the calf is currently recovering -- told Mark Thiessen of the Associated Press (AP) that the whale is doing well....
redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports - Your Universe Online Japan and Denmark issued threats to leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) after their requests for whale-hunting quotas were denied at the organization's annual meeting, various news outlets reported over the weekend. According to the Associated Press (AP), Japan had been seeking permission to carry out small-scale whaling in some coastal communities at the conference, which ended Friday, and have said that they will...
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With President Barack Obama declaring June "National Oceans Month," the sanctity of the marine ecosystem resonates around the globe. Reaffirming their commitment to the oceans and those that inhabit them, Representatives Bill Keating and Howard Berman have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives about the importance of U.S. leadership in whale conservation in the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and in other...
The first paternity study of southern right whales has found a surprisingly high level of local breeding success for males, scientists say, which is good news for the overall genetic diversity of the species, but could create risk for local populations through in-breeding. Results of the study, by researchers at the University of Auckland, Oregon State University and the New Zealand Department of Conservation, have just been published in the journal Molecular Ecology. The study found...
Latest Whale Reference Libraries
Image Caption: Fossil of Feresa Attenuata, Shimonoseki Marine Science Museum KAIKYOUKAN, Japan. Credit: OpenCage/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 2.5) The pygmy killer whale is widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical waters worldwide. Regular sightings of this species occur off the coast of Hawaii and Japan, and also in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka and Lesser Antilles. In the Atlantic the pygmy killer whale has been seen off the coast of South Carolina and Senegal. This species swims in...
The Beluga Whale or White Whale (Delphinapterus leucas), is an Arctic and sub-arctic species of marine mammal. It is commonly referred to simply as the Beluga. The Beluga occurs in waters from 50° N to 80° N. There is also an isolated population which travels the St. Lawrence River estuary and the Saguenay Fjord. There is an endangered colony of Belugas in the Cook Inlet in Alaska as well. This small whale can grow up to 16 feet long and is larger than most dolphins, but smaller...
Sowerby's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens), also known as the North Atlantic/North Sea Beaked Whale, was the first beaked whale to be described. Its name, bidens, derives from the two teeth present in the jaw, now known to be a very common feature among the family. It is altogether a rather typical representative of the genus. Physical description Sowerby's Beaked Whale has a typical body shape for the genus, and is mainly distinguished by the male's dual teeth that are found very far...
The Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps) is one of three species of whale in the sperm whale family. They are not often sighted at sea and most of our understanding of the creatures comes from the study of washed-up specimens Taxonomy There has been debate and differing opinion as to the correct classification of the Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales. The two were widely considered to be the same species, until 1966, when a scientist at the Smithsonian Institute definitively diagnosed them as...
The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family Delphinidae. They are sometimes referred to as blackfish, a group including pilot whales, pigmy and false killer whales and melon headed whales. It is the second-most widely distributed mammal on Earth (after humans) and is found in all the world's oceans, from the frigid arctic regions to warm, tropical seas. It is also a versatile, deadly predator, eating fish, turtles, birds, seals, sharks and even...
