Educational Science

Distinct Humpback Whale Populations Found in North Pacific

Five distinct humpback whale populations have been identified across the North Pacific Ocean in the most comprehensive genetic study of the mammals in this region yet, a new study reports. The ranges of the newly identified populations include: Hawaii; Mexico; Central America; Okinawa and the Philippines; and an additional West...

Cacophony of Shipping Noise Found in Humpback, Killer Whale Habitat

Humpback whales and killer whales are losing up to 94 percent and 97 percent, respectively, of their communication space in the busiest areas of the ocean off the British Columbia coast, according to a new study. Although this simplified summary represents a somewhat pessimistic interpretation of 10,000 hours of underwater...

Just like naughty children on Halloween, humpback whales enjoy midnight snacks. In the case of the whales, this takes the form of a previously unknown behavior, in which the animals repeatedly rotate their bodies and gulp fish just off the seafloor, sometimes making contact with the ocean bottom itself and...

Humpback Whales Learn Hunting Technique from Peers

Evidence is mounting that several animals can learn behaviors from their peers, and pass down these traditions from generation to generation — an ability once thought to be uniquely human. The latest study to document social learning in animals, published today (April 25) in the journal Science, has found that...

More Humpback Whales in North Pacific Than Thought

More humpback whales are swimming in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean than previously thought, an analysis of the largest ever humpback whale survey finds. The number of North Pacific humpback whales in the 2008 study known as the Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks,...

Humpback Whale Populations Increase Off British Columbia

Humpback whale populations are on the rise in a small coastal area of British Columbia, a new estimate reveals, but researchers remain cautious about the whales' safety in the face of several human threats. In the summer, the whales share space with a shipping channel that goes through the Caamaño...

Whale of a Surprise: Humpbacks Winter in Antarctica

Underwater conversations between humpbacks have revealed a surprising secret: Some of the whales in the Southern Hemisphere appear to skip their northward migration and stay in frigid Antarctic waters for the winter. A scientist overheard the whales chatting in the month of April – the start of the Antarctic fall...

Spectacular Photo: Humpback Whale Surprises Fishing Trip

Melissa Pelaez was visiting Panama to do research on yellowfin tuna for her master's degree in aquaculture, the cultivation or farming of fish. One fine morning she and her University of Miami classmates set out from the Achotines Laboratory to catch adult tuna, which they planned to bring back to...

Bermuda Triangle to Become Humpback Whale Haven

The Bermuda Triangle holds an often maligned and mysterious place in ocean lore, but for endangered humpback whales, it's about to get a little more welcoming. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced a letter of intent signed by the Bermuda Department of Environmental Protection to establish a...

Extremely Rare White Humpback Filmed Near Norway

Call me Dan. It may not have the same ring as Call me Ishmael, the eternal first line of Herman Melville's Moby Dick, but facts are facts and Dan Fisher has to start his own story of a white whale somewhere. Fisher, a Welsh maritime engineer, spotted an extremely rare...