Whales | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/whales/RSS feed for WhalesenFri, 22 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000Belugas Can Recognize Themselves in Mirrors, Joining a Short List of Nonhuman Species That Show Signs of Self-Awarenesshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/belugas-can-recognize-themselves-in-mirrors-joining-a-short-list-of-non-human-species-that-show-signs-of-self-awareness-180988783/The researchers hope that this new understanding of cognition in the toothed whales will increase human empathy and concern for the animals, leading to more efforts to protect themFri, 22 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/belugas-can-recognize-themselves-in-mirrors-joining-a-short-list-of-non-human-species-that-show-signs-of-self-awareness-180988783/Whalers Didn’t Just Sing Sea Shanties and Seek Adventure. Proof of Laborers' Grueling Work Is in Their Skeletons, Buried in the Arctichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whalers-didnt-just-sing-sea-shanties-and-seek-adventure-proof-of-laborers-grueling-work-is-in-their-skeletons-buried-in-the-arctic-180988787/Remains buried on Svalbard show the brutal toll whaling took on men in the 17th and 18th centuries. Climate change threatens these kinds of archaeological sites across the ArcticThu, 21 May 2026 21:36:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whalers-didnt-just-sing-sea-shanties-and-seek-adventure-proof-of-laborers-grueling-work-is-in-their-skeletons-buried-in-the-arctic-180988787/Humpback Whales Sometimes Hold Their Mouths Open for No Clear Reason. Tourists Are Helping Scientists Understand the Rare Behaviorhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humpback-whales-sometimes-hold-their-mouths-open-for-no-clear-reason-tourists-are-helping-scientists-understand-the-rare-behavior-180988743/A trove of photos and videos gathered from social media has helped researchers propose a few possible reasons for the seldom documented action, called "gaping," including communication, jaw stretching and playMon, 18 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humpback-whales-sometimes-hold-their-mouths-open-for-no-clear-reason-tourists-are-helping-scientists-understand-the-rare-behavior-180988743/Timmy the Whale Was Released Into the North Sea After Being Stranded Off the German Coast for Weeks. Was That the Right Call?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/timmy-the-whale-was-released-into-the-sea-after-being-stranded-off-the-german-coast-for-weeks-was-that-the-right-call-180988679/The humpback whale first entered shallow water at the end of March, but its health deteriorated over the past few weeks. Experts have criticized efforts to rescue the animal, which may have done more harm than goodWed, 06 May 2026 13:13:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/timmy-the-whale-was-released-into-the-sea-after-being-stranded-off-the-german-coast-for-weeks-was-that-the-right-call-180988679/