Dolphins | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/dolphins/RSS feed for DolphinsenWed, 04 Feb 2026 20:41:41 +0000See 24 Astounding Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest—and Vote for Your Favoritehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-24-astounding-images-from-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-contest-180988138/The public will choose the winner of the People’s Choice award in a vote that runs from February 4 to March 18Wed, 04 Feb 2026 20:41:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-24-astounding-images-from-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-contest-180988138/By Collecting Whale Breath, Researchers Detected a Deadly Virus in the Arctic for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/by-collecting-whale-breath-researchers-detected-a-deadly-virus-in-the-arctic-for-the-first-time-180987948/Flying a drone with Petri dishes above exhaling whales helped scientists identify a dangerous pathogen that can damage the animals' respiratory, immune and nervous systemsTue, 06 Jan 2026 17:00:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/by-collecting-whale-breath-researchers-detected-a-deadly-virus-in-the-arctic-for-the-first-time-180987948/Watch These Orcas Follow Dolphins to Snag a Salmon Feast. It Might Be the First Evidence of These Species Working Togetherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-these-orcas-follow-dolphins-to-snag-a-salmon-feast-it-might-be-the-first-evidence-of-these-species-working-together-180987864/Off the coast of British Columbia, killer whales are tailing dolphins, and both seem to be rewarded with fishy meals. But not everyone is convinced it's teamwork—and the behavior may hint at other ocean stressorsMon, 15 Dec 2025 20:34:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-these-orcas-follow-dolphins-to-snag-a-salmon-feast-it-might-be-the-first-evidence-of-these-species-working-together-180987864/From Collecting Whale Snot to Capturing Surprising Behaviors, Aerial Drones Are Giving Scientists a New View of Sea Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/from-collecting-whale-snot-to-capturing-surprising-behaviors-aerial-drones-are-giving-scientists-a-new-view-of-sea-life-180987683/The robots can hover over marine mammals and gather all sorts of information in a way that’s less invasive to the animals than researchers trying to approach them by boat or planeWed, 12 Nov 2025 21:36:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/from-collecting-whale-snot-to-capturing-surprising-behaviors-aerial-drones-are-giving-scientists-a-new-view-of-sea-life-180987683/This 'Clock' Could Warn of Hidden Stresses to Animals, Offering a Long-Sought Signal That a Population Is Nearing Collapsehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-clock-could-warn-of-hidden-stresses-to-animals-offering-a-long-sought-signal-that-a-population-is-nearing-collapse-180987450/The epigenetic clock measures biological age and could help scientists assess the health of polar bears, dolphins, baboons and other threatened creatures "while recovery is still possible"Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-clock-could-warn-of-hidden-stresses-to-animals-offering-a-long-sought-signal-that-a-population-is-nearing-collapse-180987450/The Curious Case of 'Old Thom,' an Orca Traveling Alone in the North Atlantichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-curious-case-of-old-thom-a-killer-whale-traveling-alone-in-the-north-atlantic-180987346/Sightings of the marine mammal captivate the public and baffle scientistsWed, 24 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-curious-case-of-old-thom-a-killer-whale-traveling-alone-in-the-north-atlantic-180987346/Five Dramatic Ways Animals Respond to Human Noise, From Mimicking Car Alarms While Wooing Mates to Calling Higher Over the Din of Traffichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-dramatic-ways-animals-respond-to-human-noise-from-mimicking-car-alarms-while-wooing-mates-to-calling-higher-over-the-din-of-traffic-180987190/As human-caused sound gets louder around the world, some animals change their behavior and many creatures suffer health issuesMon, 08 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-dramatic-ways-animals-respond-to-human-noise-from-mimicking-car-alarms-while-wooing-mates-to-calling-higher-over-the-din-of-traffic-180987190/Whales and Dolphins Interact More Often Than Scientists Thought, Engaging in Mutual Play, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whales-and-dolphins-interact-more-often-than-scientists-thought-engaging-in-mutual-play-study-suggets-180987198/Researchers analyzed nearly 200 videos and photographs documenting interactions between the various kinds of cetaceansMon, 18 Aug 2025 19:43:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whales-and-dolphins-interact-more-often-than-scientists-thought-engaging-in-mutual-play-study-suggets-180987198/Killer Whales Hunt Fish in Highly Coordinated Pairs and Perfect Their Movements With Practice, Drone Videos Revealhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/killer-whales-hunt-fish-in-highly-coordinated-pairs-and-perfect-their-movements-with-practice-drone-videos-reveal-180987070/Footage taken off the coast of Norway reveals that orcas team up to maximize their prey, according to a new studyWed, 30 Jul 2025 20:01:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/killer-whales-hunt-fish-in-highly-coordinated-pairs-and-perfect-their-movements-with-practice-drone-videos-reveal-180987070/Orcas Appear to Be Sharing Their Prey With Humans—but What Does It Mean?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/orcas-appear-to-be-sharing-their-prey-with-humans-but-what-does-it-mean-180986913/Researchers documented 34 instances of purported prey-sharing behavior, which suggests orcas may be altruistic and capable of recognizing sentience in another speciesTue, 01 Jul 2025 20:21:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/orcas-appear-to-be-sharing-their-prey-with-humans-but-what-does-it-mean-180986913/