Marine Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Oct 31, 2013

Humpback Whales Are Bottom-Feeders, Study Suggests

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...

Dec 4, 2013

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...

May 20, 2014

Oceans Apart: 3 Humpback Whale Subspecies Identified

Humpback whale populations across the world may actually be separate subspecies, a new genetic study reveals. Though the expert swimmers make the longest migrations of any mammal, the subpopulations in the North Pacific, North Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere oceans stick to separate routes. Humpback whale populations are actually more...

Nov 27, 2015

In Photos: Tracking Humpback Whales in the South Pacific Ocean

Scientists monitored the travels of the southwestern Pacific humpback whale in an offshore habitat off New Caledonia, in the South Pacific Ocean. They found that underwater mountains called seamounts serve as key stopovers in the whales' migratory routes. Here's a look at images from the tracking study of the humpback...

Feb 4, 2019

See a Newborn Baby Humpback Whale Swim with Its Mom, Minutes After Being Born

According to MMRP director Lars Bejder, who took the drone footage in January off the Maui coast, the condition of both mother and baby whale suggests that the little humpback was mere minutes old. [Photos: World's Cutest Baby Wild Animals] [Local tour operators] had just seen all this whitewater and...

Feb 27, 2019

Humpback Whale That Washed Ashore in Amazon Jungle Was Likely Sick

A photo posted by on The body of a young humpback whale washed ashore on Marajó Island in Brazil — and it ended up nearly 50 feet (15 meters) inland near the mouth of the Amazon river, according to a Facebook post from the wildlife nonprofit group Bicho D'água. This...

Apr 22, 2020

Amazing new video shows baby humpback whales nursing from their moms

Cameras on the backs of baby humpback whales have captured a rare glimpse of moms nursing their calves. In addition to a camera, the suction-cup tags also carry an acoustic recorder, depth sensor and accelerometer, which together, collect data on the behavior, movement and breathing patterns of the whales. Researchers...

Aug 4, 2020

Humpback whale charges swimmers in Australia, sends two to hospital

Two snorkelers were hospitalized after being smacked by the fins of an angry mama humpback whale off the coast of Australia, news outlets reported on Tuesday (Aug. 4). The snorkelers were swimming with a whale-watching tour group on Saturday (Aug. 1) near Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. The reef is...

Sep 15, 2020

Lost humpback whale abandoned by friends in croc-infested river in Australia

A humpback whale is swimming the wrong way up an alligator-filled river in Australia's Northern Territory, according to media reports. The lost whale is traveling further inland than any whale has ever been seen on the continent, government experts said on Monday (Sept. 14). It's something that's never been recorded...

Feb 22, 2021

Humpback whale survives 4-hour attack by gang of orcas

Whale watchers in Australia witnessed a rare sight last week: Two pods of orcas ganged up on and attacked a healthy young humpback whale. The whale, a 2- to 3-year-old male, survived the onslaught, though he lost his dorsal fin, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. We knew we were...

Mar 23, 2021

Dead juvenile humpback whale washes up on UK beach

A partially decomposed 36-foot-long (11 meters) juvenile humpback whale carcass washed up on a beach in the U.K. weeks after the animal was first spotted dead in the water. The whale, nicknamed Humpy, washed up at 7:15 a.m. local time Friday (March 19) on England's Northumberland coast. Humpy was first...

Jun 8, 2021

Orcas 'attacked' humpback mother and calf. Now the calf is missing.

Whale watchers in British Columbia recently glimpsed a rare encounter involving a group of orcas seemingly attacking a humpback mother and calf in the Salish Sea. In video footage captured by a local sailor on May 29 off the coast of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, the orcas, also known as...

Jun 15, 2021

Humpback whale swallows lobster diver before spitting him out

A humpback whale recently swallowed a Cape Cod lobster diver. This is a highly unusual event, but one expert told Live Science that there are certain types of behaviors that could have led to the man being swallowed — such as diving too close to the whale's normal food. Michael...

Aug 24, 2021

'Unimaginable' video shows great white sharks ripping humpback whale carcass to shreds

In mid-August, a team of Massachusetts-based marine biologists set out on the waters of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, just east of Boston. Their mission: to tag some basking sharks — the second-biggest shark species on Earth, and a predator still considered highly mysterious to scientists. But soon after the...

Aug 22, 2006

Killer Whales Settle Disputes Like Humans

Whether it's a blowout argument or a dinner-table disagreement, a spat with your lover can be trying. Humans have of course devised ways of making up, including tight hugs and the customary apology flowers. Killer whales have their own tricks for mending relations, a new study finds. Rather than a...