How do whales get beached?
In some unsettling news, as many as 145 pilot whales, were stranded on Monday, November 26. A walker discovered two whale pods on a remote beach Stewart Island, New Zealand. Sadly, by the time they were discovered, the whales were in poor condition and could not be saved. Every year, whales become stranded on beaches … Continued
What’s happening in the oceans is so sad that even the whales have stopped singing
The destructive path humans are forging on ocean life continues. While most of us are aware of the detrimental effects plastic, pollution, and carbon emissions have on the ocean and its wildlife, it seems like another unexpected source is causing strife with swimmers these days too: noise pollution. One whale of a study In a … Continued
Canada is one step closer to banning whale and dolphin captivity
These days, no responsible tourist can enter a marine park or aquarium without facing the ethical question of whether they should be forking over their hard-earned money to support such establishments. Look no further than the Vancouver Aquarium or Niagara Fall’s Marineland, where activists regularly congregate to protest the captivity and breeding of cetaceans, for … Continued
The definitive directory of dominant females
Males are typically thought of as the stronger sex, the provider and the protector, yet this is a view that is changing. For humans, the lack of female world leaders and inequality in certain aspects of life leads many to believe it very much remains a man’s world, at least for now. But for a … Continued
False killer whale flashes a smile at the camera
While traveling with Wild Side Tours off the coast of Oahu, Elizabeth Hartford captured this incredible footage of a false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) mother swimming along with her calf. This is a rare sighting, as these beautiful creatures are endangered and have seen a dramatic drop in numbers over the last 20 years, especially in Hawaii. … Continued
Obamacare Mk.II: US President sanctions world's largest ever ecologically protected zone
President Obama has just celebrated the centenary of the US National Park Service (NPS) by massively expanding a national marine monument in Hawaii, where he was born. The newly super-sized Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument now sprawls across 582,578 square miles of blue ocean around the uninhabited northwestern islands of Hawaii, making it officially the planet’s … Continued
Just how big can animals grow?
If you were to take a walk through North America a mere 10,000 years ago, there would have been an awful lot more animals with you on their menu. From giant sloths to short-faced bears, to perhaps even the 9ft-long (three metre) sabertooth salmon. If we think of big animals now, then our imagination takes … Continued
Up all night: 7 animals that hardly ever sleep
If you are a regular homo sapien you will spend a third of your life tucked up in bed, sound asleep. If you live to the respectable age of 75, then you would have successfully slept through a whopping quarter of a century. Sleep is a state of inactivity when we become less responsive to stimuli. … Continued
7 incredible animal migrations
The animal kingdom isn’t averse to travelling great distances to get what it wants. Next time you find yourself moaning about how long it takes you to pop down the shops, consider the struggle of these seven amazing creatures and count yourself lucky you won’t be wading through a crocodile-infested river just to grab your … Continued
18 facts about narwhals you probably didn't know
Narwhals have to be one of the most fascinating marine mammals in the sea. Often called the “unicorns of the sea”, these whales are characterized by a long tusk that protrudes from the left side of the upper jaw. This tusk is an elongated canine tooth, and contains millions of nerve endings which helps the … Continued
You won't believable this incredible footage in the feeding ground of humpback whales
The sight of a humpback whale eating its dinner can be quite confronting teatime viewing. No one can accuse these animals of being fussy. With mighty mouths enormously agape, these leviathan marine mammals simply swim straight through great twisting spirals of small fish such as herring, gulping down their prey and squirting the brine out … Continued
Japan has just slaughtered hundreds of pregnant minke whales
According to a report just released by the National Geographic’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Japanese whalers have recently slaughtered 333 minke whales, including more than 200 pregnant females, under the guise of scientific research. Four whaling ships returned to port on Wednesday, after a 115-day expedition to the Antarctic, and their bloody haul was documented … Continued
5 astonishing facts about Canada’s whale populations
[geoip-content country=”CA”] It’s WWF Water Wednesday, when Love Nature television explores the unique characteristics, natural history, environmental challenges and threats facing waters and aquatic species in Canada and around the world. Tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT watch Sperm Whales: Titans of the Deep and read on for five incredible facts about whales you’ll find in … Continued
Tracing the death trail of Europe's beaching sperm whales
In its element, the open ocean, the sperm whale is an incredible force of nature. A highly evolved, supremely specialised survivalist, these magnificent mammals don’t do tourist-pleasing tricks on the surface for boats, à la humpbacks, but they are capable of diving for up to 45 minutes on a single breath, to depths of two … Continued
Humpback whales love to play
Talk about making a splash! Humpback whales enjoy playing in the water, and will breach by throwing nearly two-thirds of their entire body out of the water.
The magical footage of 2000 beluga whales playing together that simply needs to be watched
Spots of bright white fleck an otherwise calm and turquoise sea in Canada’s far north. They are beluga whales—over 2000 of them—caught on camera frolicking about in Cunningham Inlet last summer, the edited footage recently published online. Arctic adventure tour guide Nansen Weber captured the footage whilst on a mission to film the beauty of the … Continued
337 whales have died in the largest mass-stranding known to science
During of a routine aerial research mission last summer, scientists flying over a remote fjord in Chilean Patagonia spotted something below that was not only entirely unexpected, it was also truly shocking: 337 dead whales. They were witnessing the grizzly and decaying aftermath of the biggest whale stranding event ever observed. What’s even more alarming is that—as … Continued
Baby whale drinks from mother's milk
Like most mammals, whale calves require their mother’s milk for nutrients. However, it can prove difficult to feed underwater, so just how do these magnificent beasts do it?
This incredibly rare whale has been caught on camera for the first time
An international team of whale biologists have just released incredible footage of an Omura’s whale being caught on camera for the first time. One of the least known species of whales in the world, Omura’s whales (Balaenoptera omurai) are the small cousin in a group that includes the giant blue whales and the acrobatic humpbacks. Speaking … Continued
Mother whale and mother dolphin take their kids for a stroll
Add this to the mix of odd animal friendships: a mother whale and her calf were spotted swimming along with a mother dolphin and her calf. The footage, captured via drone by YouTube user Vern Sky-Pro, shows the pair of whales calmly following the path of the dolphins. The notion of whales and dolphins getting … Continued
Rare albino whale takes a swim with his mum
Spotting southern right whales in Australia is pretty uncommon, but seeing an albino southern right whale is even rarer. The Department of Parks and Wildlife at the Fitzgerald River National Park in Australia managed to capture some incredibly unique drone footage of a pod of four southern right whales. What makes the footage that much more … Continued
Amazing drone footage shows a couple of curious whales greeting a paddle-boarder in Australia
Absolutely stunning drone footage has emerged of the moment when two whales swam through a crystal-clear ocean to greet an Australian paddle-boarder. The serene video shows the southern right whales calmly approaching Dave Price through still and turquoise waters near the town of Esperance in Western Australia—the footage perfectly accompanied by a Jack Johnson cover … Continued
Legal protection secured for whales against harmful U.S. Navy sonar
The U.S. Navy has agreed to restrict its use of sonar and explosives off the coasts of Southern California and Hawaii in a landmark settlement that will protect whales and dolphins from the harmful effects of ocean noise. A federal court ruled that military training and testing activities, such as mid-frequency active sonar and underwater … Continued
Seal surfs on a humpback whale's back
Surfing is a popular pastime in Australia, as millions of people flock to its beaches to catch some serious waves. And the sport seems to have caught on among our marine friends. While whale watching off the southern coast of New South Wales, photographer Robyn Malcolm managed to capture a photograph of a fur seal … Continued
Kayakers survive a humpback whale cannonball
This astonishing clip shot from a Monterey whale watching tour boat shows a humpback whale breaching out of the water beside a duo of paddlers, cannonballing right next to their sea kayak and flipping it over. Humpback whales weigh between 30 and 50 tons and are regularly spotted swimming in Monterey Bay, a bustling feeding ground for … Continued
Snotbot: Giving researchers and whales some breathing room
Looking for a way to help out whales and researchers? Consider joining the Snotbot team. There’s been a lot of news about drones being used in conservation recently, but few projects get as good as this. Sir Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame just released a video in support of Ocean Alliance’s new Kickstarter campaign for Snotbot—the … Continued