https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/pacific-ocean/RSS feed for Pacific OceanenFri, 16 Oct 2026 17:45:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/in-the-new-movie-whalefall-a-cetacean-swallows-a-diver-whole-the-sperm-whales-remarkable-anatomy-and-feeding-habits-shape-the-survival-thriller-180989700/The film, an adaptation of Daniel Kraus’ 2023 novel, tells the story of a young man with an extremely challenging task: make it out of a whale’s stomach aliveFri, 16 Oct 2026 17:45:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/in-the-new-movie-whalefall-a-cetacean-swallows-a-diver-whole-the-sperm-whales-remarkable-anatomy-and-feeding-habits-shape-the-survival-thriller-180989700/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-monumental-18th-century-portrait-of-a-young-polynesian-man-a-supreme-work-of-art-visits-the-us-for-the-first-time-180989699/The massive "Portrait of Mai" depicts the first Pacific Islander to visit Britain, a young man who became a quasi-celebrity in the 1770s after joining the expedition of explorer James CookFri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-monumental-18th-century-portrait-of-a-young-polynesian-man-a-supreme-work-of-art-visits-the-us-for-the-first-time-180989699/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-2026-be-a-year-with-no-atlantic-hurricanes-weve-surprisingly-passed-their-peak-month-without-any-thanks-to-the-el-nino-180989617/Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November, and the last time one passed by without an intense cyclone was more than 100 years ago. While the ongoing "super" El Niño seems to be suppressing storms in the Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean is being overactiveTue, 06 Oct 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-2026-be-a-year-with-no-atlantic-hurricanes-weve-surprisingly-passed-their-peak-month-without-any-thanks-to-the-el-nino-180989617/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-two-new-species-of-sea-spider-in-the-pacific-northwest-and-they-look-like-they-came-straight-out-of-a-horror-movie-180989598/You don't need to worry about the critters coming after you, since they're only a fraction of an inch across. They join the roughly 1,400 known species of ocean-dwelling spidersFri, 02 Oct 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-two-new-species-of-sea-spider-in-the-pacific-northwest-and-they-look-like-they-came-straight-out-of-a-horror-movie-180989598/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-sea-turtles-were-spotted-nesting-on-the-us-west-coast-scientists-say-the-super-el-nino-could-have-brought-them-there-180989574/Two olive ridley turtles were found laying eggs on beaches in Southern California in September. In the Pacific Ocean, these reptiles normally nest farther south, often in Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and PanamaFri, 25 Sep 2026 20:24:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-sea-turtles-were-spotted-nesting-on-the-us-west-coast-scientists-say-the-super-el-nino-could-have-brought-them-there-180989574/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-scorching-temperatures-brought-on-by-the-super-el-nino-could-kill-nearly-half-a-million-people-by-february-180989555/The predicted number, which includes deaths since June, likely represents an underestimate of total deaths. The heat could linger beyond February, and the climate swing could bring about other life-threatening conditions, including flooding, wildfire and infectious diseasesThu, 24 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-scorching-temperatures-brought-on-by-the-super-el-nino-could-kill-nearly-half-a-million-people-by-february-180989555/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-an-elusive-and-ethereal-bigfin-squid-float-above-the-seafloor-off-central-california-180989491/This marks the first time the mysterious creature has been seen alive in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. It was spotted last month by scientists on an expedition to study marine life near underwater mountainsMon, 14 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-an-elusive-and-ethereal-bigfin-squid-float-above-the-seafloor-off-central-california-180989491/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-newly-discovered-fuzzy-fish-species-named-after-mr-snuffleupagus-from-sesame-street-180988774/The ghost pipefish's scruffy appearance probably helps it look like floating algae, allowing it to blend in with its environment. Researchers had been on the hunt for this strange creature for years after first spotting one more than two decades agoMon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-newly-discovered-fuzzy-fish-species-named-after-mr-snuffleupagus-from-sesame-street-180988774/