Dolphins
A Solo Dolphin Is Chattering Away Off Denmark's Coast—Is He Talking to Himself?
Marine biologists are perplexed by the lone bottlenose dolphin's vocalizations, because some resemble sounds typically used for communication
Scientists Have Found Microplastics in Dolphin Breath for the First Time
Each of the 11 dolphins sampled exhaled at least one suspected particle of microplastic, which researchers say “highlights how extensive environmental microplastic pollution is”
Bottlenose Dolphins 'Smile' at Each Other During Playtime, Study Finds
Researchers still don't know what the open-mouth facial expression means or whether it's akin to smiling in humans—but several animals make a similar face during play
Rare Drone Footage Captures Orcas Feeding on Dusky Dolphins
The predatory pod hunts off the coast of Chile and is led by a matriarch called Dakota
A Dolphin Keeps Biting People in Japan. Researchers Think It's Just Lonely
A series of dolphin attacks in Wakasa Bay is believed to be the doing of a lone male bottlenose dolphin looking for friends or a mate—but finding only humans
Archaeologists Stumble Upon a 2,000-Year-Old Dolphin Mosaic in England
The Roman-era artwork was likely preserved thanks to a remodeling project in the third or fourth century C.E.
Five Amazing Dolphin Behaviors, Explained
From calling each other by name to using tools, these social creatures are a lot like us
Between Dives, Orcas Take Only a Single Breath
A new study finds the black-and-white marine mammals tend to make shorter, shallower dives compared to humpback and blue whales, making orcas the "sprinters" of the ocean
Orcas Sink 50-Foot Yacht Off the Coast of Morocco
The vessel's two passengers were evacuated onto an oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar. The incident marks the fifth vessel the mammals have sunk in recent years
Two New Species of Killer Whale Should Be Recognized, Study Says
A couple of eastern North Pacific populations of orcas have qualities that set them apart, according to researchers
Why Aren't Dolphins in the Great Lakes? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
Five Shocking Animal Hybrids That Truly Exist in Nature, From Narlugas to Grolar Bears to Coywolves
The now-famous “virgin” stingray Charlotte is not having hybrid babies, scientists say. But in nature, distinct species sometimes interbreed to produce surprising offspring
New Extinct Species of Giant Dolphin Discovered in Peru From a 16-Million-Year-Old Skull
Pebanista yacuruna is the largest freshwater dolphin ever found, but it is more closely related to today's river dolphins of South Asia than those in the Amazon
See 15 Otherworldly Images From the Underwater Photographer of the Year Awards
A hunting monkey, 'kissing' scorpionfish and playful dolphins feature in just a few of the 130 striking photographs distinguished with honors in the competition
Bottlenose Dolphins May Have an Electric Sense, Study Finds
Dimples called vibrissal pits on the beaks of the mammals can perceive electricity and might help with hunting and navigation
Watch Dolphins Outsmart Crab Traps in First-Ever Footage
Bottlenose dolphins in Australia have been snatching fish used to bait crabs—and adapting to fishers' attempts to thwart them
Orcas Sink Another Boat in the Strait of Gibraltar
The crew is safe, but the marine mammals did so much damage to the Polish sailing yacht that it couldn't make it back to port
At Least 125 River Dolphins Have Died Amid Drought and Heat in Brazilian Amazon
Though the pink animals' cause of death is not confirmed, temperatures in the remote Lake Tefé reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit in late September
Why Do Orcas Keep Harassing Porpoises?
An endangered group of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest has been toying with porpoises for decades—and new research offers some possible explanations
Nine Orcas Have Died in Fishing Gear Near Alaska This Year
A "new behavior" from the animals might be linked to this sudden uptick in deaths, as they have been feeding in front of fishing nets, a trade group says
Page 1 of 5