whales

Science

Mysterious Type Of Killer Whale, Sought After For Years, Found In Southern Ocean

9:53pm March 07, 2019

by Christopher Joyce

The notion that there might be some new kind of killer whale emerged in 1955, when photos from New Zealand showed a bunch of unusual-looking whales stranded on a beach.

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The New England Aquarium team searching for right whales, at sunrise in the Bay of Fundy. Johanna Anderson and Kelsey Howe scan the waters while Marianna Hagbloom logs data, Amy Knowlton adjusts a GPS unit, and Brigid McKenna steers the Nereid.

In Changing Climate, Endangered Right Whales Find New Feeding Grounds

9:30am October 09, 2018

by Murray Carpenter

North Atlantic right whales used to turn up large numbers off Maine's coast, but now, adapting to climate changes, they are being spotted further north in Gulf of St. Lawrence.

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Humpback whales feed at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary near Provincetown, Mass., in July 2014.

Scientists Are 'Spying On Whales' To Learn How They Eat, Talk And ... Walked?

6:05pm August 01, 2018

by Dave Davies

Paleobiologist Nick Pyenson is dedicated to uncovering the "hidden lives" of whales. He says that 40 million to 50 million years ago, they had four legs and lived at least part of their lives on land.

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The mother orca, known as J-35, pushes her dead calf to the surface last week off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The infant orca died shortly after its birth, but its mother has been observed carrying it with her in the days afterward.

After Calf's Death, Orca Mother Carries It For Days In 'Tragic Tour Of Grief'

6:13pm July 31, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

What began as a moment of joy ended in tragedy when the infant died last week. Since then its mother has refused to let go, holding her child tightly in what experts call a moving expression of grief.

North Atlantic right whales are at risk of extinction because they often become ensnared in ropes used to guide lobster traps along the Northeastern U.S. and Canadian coastline.

To Save Whales, Maine's Iconic Lobster Industry May Have To Change

9:46am March 24, 2018

by Fred Bever

Scientists says to help whales, the ropes used to tend lobster traps must be changed or eliminated. Mainers who catch lobster for a living feel they're being singled out for an international problem.

Humpback whales are among the animals that could be affected by seismic surveys for oil and gas.

Seismic Surveys Planned Off U.S. Coast Pose Risk To Marine Life

4:49pm February 19, 2018

by Christopher Joyce

The Trump administration could give companies permission to set off sonic explosions to explore for oil and gas deposits. Scientists say this could seriously harm marine life.

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Leandro Teixeira and Richard Dubielzig of the University of Wisconsin - Madison open the whale eye package.

All I Want For Christmas Is A Giant Whale Eye

4:34pm December 22, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A giant whale eye spent decades on a strange journey before it finally arrived at an animal eyeball lab and gave the folks there the "best Christmas ever."

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Researchers found that when narwhals like these were released from a net, the animals' heart rates dropped even as they were swimming rapidly.

Stressed-Out Narwhals Don't Know Whether to Freeze or Flee, Scientists Find

3:22pm December 07, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

After being caught in a net, narwhals appear to get confused about what to do. Researchers say the whales' befuddlement could provide clues about how they will adapt to a changing Arctic.

Joe Howlett, an expert in rescuing whales from tangled fishing gear, died on Monday. He's seen here off the coast of Canada's Campobello Island in 2015.

NOAA Halts Whale Disentanglement Efforts After Rescuer Dies

3:17pm July 14, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Boat captain Joe Howlett died on Monday after freeing a right whale that was tangled in fishing gear in Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Science

Travel Through Time With A Whale Detective

12:55pm June 07, 2017

by Madeline K. Sofia

Join NPR's Madeline Sofia on a tour of the largest collection of whale bones in the world. Curator Nick Pyenson takes us backstage to see Smithsonian specimens that aren't on display in museums.