Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Whales

A fin whale picked out from satellite imagery

New Research

Researchers Can Now Monitor Whales Via Satellite

The latest high resolution satellites can pick out whales surfacing in huge swaths of ocean, which will aid in conservation

A North Atlantic right whale rests at the ocean’s surface. With an estimated 100 reproductive females remaining, the species could be unable to reproduce naturally in 20 years.

The Plight of the Right Whale

With dwindling numbers due to snags in lobster traps and collisions with ships, the right whale is looking for a way to make a comeback

A blue whale, the largest known creature in Earth's history, dives into the St. Lawrence river in Quebec, Canada.

Today’s Whales Are Huge, But Why Aren’t They Huger?

Most giant cetaceans only got giant in the past 4.5 million years, suggesting they could have room to grow

Researchers discovered hnefatafl game pieces made of whale bone in upper- and middle-class Vendel graves.

Viking Chess Pieces May Reveal Early Whale Hunts in Northern Europe

The board game hnefatafl, commonly called Viking chess, pits an attacking player against another trying to defend the king

Group of Belugas May Have Adopted Young Narwhal

The narwhal was seen frolicking with its beluga buddies some 600 miles south of its normal range

A Roman fish processing factory in the city of Baelo Claudia

New Research

Romans May Have Hunted Whales to Extinction in Their Home Waters

New analysis suggests that right and gray whales were not only once present in the Mediterranean Sea but likely common in the region

No calves have been born over the past three years, and the current orca population is only 75

Pacific Northwest Orca Population Hits 30-Year-Low

Declining salmon population, pollution and noise disturbance pose largest threats to the killer whales’ survival

This striped dolphin, photographed in the Gulf of Corinth, may be grieving a relative. A new study examines the evidence.

New Research

Study Suggests Dolphins and Some Whales Grieve Their Dead

An analysis of 78 instances of cetaceans paying attention to their dead suggests grief may be part of being a highly social animal

A narwhal being capture and tagged for the study

New Research

Researchers Record the Sounds of the Elusive Narwhal

Skreee—-click——whirrr.

Whale Dies in Thailand With 80 Plastic Bags in Its Stomach

A five-day rescue effort could not save the animal, which started vomiting up pieces of plastic before it died

The first blue whale ever seen in the Red Sea.

Huge Blue Whale Sighted in the Red Sea for the First Time

The massive mammals typically spend their summers in polar waters, but are known to occasionally migrate further

A whale is captured by the Yushin Maru, a Japanese harpoon vessel.

Japan Killed 112 Pregnant Whales in the Name of Scientific Research

The country claims the catch is to obtain a range of data on the creatures

New Research

Hundreds of Blue Whales Are Permanent Residents Off New Zealand’s Coasts

Survey and genetic data show the whales of South Taranaki Bight are a unique population of non-migratory blue whales

Plastic ice bag found by a NOAA expedition to the Marianas in 2016

New Research

Even the Deepest Parts of the Ocean Are Polluted With Startling Amounts of Plastic

A review of data from 5,010 ROV dives reveals and abundance of single-use plastics littering the seas

A humpback whale and calf

New Research

Antarctica’s Waters May Soon Harbor a Boom of Baby Humpback Whales

Declining sea ice levels due to climate change may be helping the whales for now

The body of a juvenile sperm whale was found on a beach in Spain's Murcia region.

Dead Sperm Whale Had 64 Pounds of Trash in Its Digestive System

The juvenile sperm whale was found in the Murcia region of Spain, and its death has spurred a local campaign to combat plastic pollution

A flock of beluga whales in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Russia.

New Research

How Culture Guides Belugas’ Annual Odysseys Across the Arctic

Strong, multi-generational ties help the cetaceans make the same migrations year after year

“Tattooed Whale, 2016” by Tim Pitsiulak. Screen-print on Arches Cover Black.

Why Scientists Are Starting to Care About Cultures That Talk to Whales

Arctic people have been communicating with cetaceans for centuries. The rest of the world is finally listening in

New Research

Why Are Whales So Massive? It’s All About Energy

Marine mammal size is a delicate balance between chowing down and chilly waters

The mother orca and her newborn calf.

A Male Orca and Its Mother Worked Together to Kill a Newborn Calf

It is the first time that infanticide has been observed among killer whales

Page 12 of 18