Marine Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 19, 2011

In Photos: Tracking Humpback Whales

Whale Tag (Image credit: Greenpeace/Paul Hilton)The Cook Islands whale research team tags a humpback whale as it surfaces off the island of Rarotonga. The whales are being tagged as part of The Great Whale Trail. The project is a collaboration between Greenpeace and Nan Hauser, who studies humpback whales in...

Apr 19, 2011

Amazing Navigation Skills Seen in Humpback Whales

The giants that migrate farther than any other mammal on Earth, humpback whales, do so with mysterious, extraordinary accuracy, veering off course by less than 1 degree over hundreds of miles, scientists find. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) regularly swim roughly 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) between breeding and feeding grounds. However,...

Apr 28, 2011

Whale of a Record: 306 Humpbacks Spotted Near Antarctica

A record-breaking crowd of humpback whales has been seen in chilly waters near Antarctica, giving researchers a unique opportunity to study the colossal creatures — not to mention a few thrills. However, scientists warn the unprecedented whale numbers, drawn to the region for all-night feasting on their favored prey, may...

Sep 2, 2011

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...

Oct 19, 2011

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,...

Feb 2, 2012

Humpback Whale Populations Sing Different Tunes

Humpback whales living on different sides of the southern Indian Ocean bellow very different songs, suggesting the behemoths don't mingle much, or at least they aren't freely sharing their musical material, a new study finds. The results, published in the January issue of the journal Marine Mammal Science, give scientists...

Jul 30, 2012

Humpback Whales Reluctant to Migrate from Antarctica

Humpback whales spend their summers in Antarctica chowing down on shrimplike krill. Now, scientists are finding that these marine behemoths are reluctant to leave the Antarctic as winter draws near. A new study, published online July 30 in the journal Endangered Species Research, is one of the few to count...

Jul 31, 2012

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...

Sep 4, 2012

Humpback Whale Watching Season Starts Early in Hawaii

Whale watching season has started earlier than expected in Hawaii. A single humpback whale was seen near the Big Island's Kailua-Kona area on Thursday, Aug. 30, according to Hawaii Magazine. This may be the earliest the majestic animals have been seen in the area, according to a news release issued...

Nov 16, 2012

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...

Mar 13, 2013

In Images: Humpback Whale Rescued

Buoys and line (Image credit: Nicole Davis | HIHWNMS | NOAA MMHSRP permit #932-1905)A humpback whale entangled in fishing gear at the Hawaiian Islands Humback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The whale was first spotted on March 8, 2013, and a rescue mission was mounted. Removing the lines (Image credit: Rachel...

Apr 25, 2013

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...

Sep 11, 2013

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...

Sep 16, 2013

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...

Oct 23, 2013

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...