There’s so much we still don’t know about whales. Here’s 3 amazing new things we’ve learnt about whales lately: how humpback whales have sex and give birth – and how baleen whales sing underwater.
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Articles on humpback whales
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We’ve noticed a clear trend away from singing as a mating tactic among male humpbacks. But it’s probably a pretty good strategy.
It’s all based on their diet and how they capture their food. But did you know some whales do have teeth?
I’ve seen whale entanglement in shark nets firsthand, when a humpback whale calf drowned in one a few years back. It was terrible.
Whether you’re on the shore or a boat, seeing these giant mammals rise from the depths is always special. Knowing how to go about spotting a whale will improve your odds of experiencing this thrill.
Bubble-net feeding is when whales blow bubbles from their nose to encircle their food, trapping their prey into a tight ball. A citizen scientist was the first to capture this behaviour in Australia.
Australia is considering removing humpback whales from the threatened species list after their numbers rebounded in recent decades. But the mammals face new threats.
The strange appearance of three humpback whales in a Kakadu river threw up many questions – including whether they’d come out on top in a fight with a crocodile.
When humpback whales shift their distribution and behaviour, it can lead to unexpected human encounters and new challenges.
Whale breaches and tail slaps look great from a distance. But they can pose a threat if you want to get up close and swim with these giants of the ocean.
Climate change is changing Antarctic krill habitat. The repercussions for the Southern Ocean food web are huge.
Some species, including blue whales, spend little time at the surface. So despite their overwhelming size, they can be hard to find and tough to study.
Top contributors
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Postdoctoral Researcher and Wildlife Scientist, Macquarie University
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Research Fellow in Marine Science and Manager Whales & Climate Program, Griffith University
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Professor of Tourism, Auckland University of Technology
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PhD Candidate, Southern Cross University
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Researcher, Southern Cross University
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PhD student , University of Tasmania
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Doctoral student | Marine Wildlife Tourism Professional, Auckland University of Technology
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Senior lecturer, University of Tasmania
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Acting Dean, Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology
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Senior Lecturer in Physiology, The University of Queensland
