Whales

Most whale populations have not yet been recovered, including larger whales such as blue whales, fin whales and sei whales.

According to the tribe’s oral tradition, Moshup turned the Wampanoag into whales, maybe even killer whales, but he also ate broiled whales, and threw them at the cliffs on the coast for the Wampanoag to eat.

Under Japanese law, three species of whale are permitted to be hunted in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zones – endangered sei whales and threatened and Bryde’s whales, with endangered fin whales set to be added to kill lists.

Gray whales are protected under Canada's Species at Risk Act which obligates Canadian governments to prepare management plans for the whales and consider the interests of the whales when permitting development.

The two parvorders of whales, baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed whales (Odontoceti), are thought to have split apart around 34 million years ago.

A tremendous documentary which takes a look at killer whales being kept in captivity in theme parks like Sea World, and the violent impact that has on both the whales and their trainers.

Common minke whales are the smallest of all baleen whales, and although it is not unusual for several to be found in close proximity to each other in feeding grounds off the west coast of Scotland, they are happy in their own company.

Renowned for their agility and inquisitive nature, minke whales captivate with their smaller size compared to other baleen whales.

Ship strikes are a major threat to whales globally and to the recovery of endangered blue, fin, and humpback whales in California waters.

According to research, whales have complex songs for communication that other whales can hear in different parts of the ocean.

Bigg's killer whales feed on marine mammals like seals, sea lions and porpoises, and have been thriving on the West Coast, unlike endangered southern resident killer whales, which depend on dwindling Chinook salmon stocks.

She has coordinated many rescue efforts, including a pod of stranded pilot whales on Orkney in 2019, but said the 12 pilot whales still alive were beyond help and had to be euthanised.

Tail sailing was first described in the 1980s and has been observed in humpback whales and other species, like right whales.

The researchers believe that the life expectancy of North Atlantic right whales is so much lower than southern right whales because of the area they live in.

Southern right whales have been sighted in the area for over 20 years and sightings remain steady over time, in contrast to the growing numbers of humpback whales.

Kurt said that during the cruise, they saw bald eagles, orca whales, humpback whales, Dall porpoise, seals, sea otters and sea lions.

Many of the stranded whales have been found with little body fat, leading experts to suspect that the dramatically warming waters of the northern seas may have depleted the food stock the whales rely on, causing the die-off.

The technology cannot pinpoint where whales are and can only tell scientists that whales have been heard in its coverage area.

We humans normally only talk to people that we can see – at least, until the invention of the telephone – but sperm whales often communicate with whales so far away that they will never come into physical contact.

But the apparent disappearance of many whales from a historically predictable location is causing concern and some researchers believe there’s a link between warmer ocean temperatures in Alaska and the effect that has on the whales’ food chain.