The multi-billion-dollar whale-watching industry enables millions of people to see these magnificent creatures up close. But the noise made by so many boats is a threat to whales’ wellbeing.
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Articles on Whales
Displaying 1 - 20 of 137 articles
Ants are skilled surgeons, bacteria have their own internet, and scientists think sperm whales have names.
By analyzing small samples of killer whale fat, scientists can learn about the diets of different killer whale populations. This has implications for our understanding of changing ecosystems.
Food quality, not just quantity, matters when it comes to the health and survival of the southern resident killer whales.
Antarctic minke whales are elusive and hard to track – but a new study of their behaviour offers clues to their evolution and the limits of their filter-feeding behaviour.
Drones are a new technology that help researchers observe and record whale behaviours from a distance. But if the drones are flown too low, they change the whales’ behaviour.
The gaping maws and great belch of the Norse ‘hafgufa’ may well have been a humpback whale simply engaging in trap-feeding.
We’ve noticed a clear trend away from singing as a mating tactic among male humpbacks. But it’s probably a pretty good strategy.
Noisy oceans are having a significant impact on marine life.
To fish the oceans sustainably, nations must reduce bycatch, or accidental catches. But fishermen often resist changing gear or techniques that kill nontargeted species.
Swimming and surfing in the ocean is fun and invigorating. But sharing the water with animals comes with risks to us and them.
As the dead whales decompose, an astonishing and rare chain of events is likely to flow through the marine ecosystem – ultimately leading to an explosion of activity and new life.
The declining salmon and whale numbers raise a critical question: Is the southern resident killer whale population solely reliant on the abundance of salmon? And, if so, since when?
The scars many whales bear throughout their lives resulting from shark attacks are more than sufficient evidence sharks will have a go if an opportunity arises.
The Soviet Union was a latecomer to industrial whaling, but it slaughtered whales by the thousands once it started and radically under-reported its take to international monitors.
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.
We need to advance our understanding of the effects of microplastics on aquatic ecosystems, especially on small animals at the base of food webs that might be ingesting more of these particles.
Migaloo, where are you? How searching for the iconic white humpback whale connects us all with the ocean.
A terrifying sight in ancient waters, the megalodon shark was once the most feared creature in the sea.
Top contributors
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Postdoctoral Researcher and Wildlife Scientist, Macquarie University
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Adjunct Professor, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania
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Professor Evolution & Ecology, UNSW Sydney
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Curator Vertebrates, Te Papa Tongarewa
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Reader in Biology, University of St Andrews
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Antarctic Law Researcher, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC, University of Tasmania
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Research Fellow in Marine Science, Griffith University
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Honorary Professor at Bangor University; Director of Sea Watch Foundation, Bangor University
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Adjunct Research Associate, Monash University
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Associate Professor, School of Science, Edith Cowan University
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Professor of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz
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Postdoctoral Researcher, Murdoch University
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PhD student, Monash University
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Lecturer in Ecology, Scotland's Rural College
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Senior Researcher in Marine Biology, Aarhus University
