Whales

The Narwhals’ Unicorn-Like Tusk Can Sense Changes in Its Environment

The nerve-filled appendage helps the animals sense temperature and perhaps find prey and mates

Fossil whale skeletons, evidence of an ancient mass stranding of the animals, discovered during the building of the Pan-American Highway in the Atacama Region of Chile in 2011.

Scientists Solve the Mystery of a Nine-Million-Year-Old Mass Whale Die-Off

Ancient blooms of toxic algae appear to have killed dozens of whales at once

The Cat Parasite That Causes Toxoplasmosis Is Turning Up in Beluga Whales

Native Inuits who eat Beluga whales risk infection if the meat is not thoroughly disinfected by cooking

A mother right whale and her calf.

Satellites Spot Whales From Space

This new method could help researchers remotely count and keep track of whale populations

How to Humanely Euthanize a Whale

Leaving a beached whale to its own devices means a drawn out, painful death

Whalers pursued sperm whales for the rich oil in their oversized heads. Now biologists are on the tail of these deep-diving, long-lived, sociable and mysterious sea creatures.

The Sperm Whale's Deadly Call

Scientists have discovered that the massive mammal uses elaborate buzzes, clicks and squeaks that spell doom for the animal's prey

Scientists have found increasing evidence that culture shapes what and how orcas eat, what they do for fun, even their choice of mates.

Understanding Orca Culture

Researchers have found a variety of complex, learned behaviors that differ from pod to pod

Luna sought the company of humans on Nootka Sound.

Luna: A Whale to Watch

The true story of a lonely orca leaps from printed page to silver screen, with a boost from new technology

A sperm whale dives deep in Trinity Bay off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada

Whale Watching in Newfoundland

Once a home base for commercial whalers, the Canadian province is now a popular locale for spotting the massive creatures

An illustration of German-born fossil collector Albert Koch's "Hydrarchos" as it appeared on display.

How Did Whales Evolve?

Originally mistaken for dinosaur fossils, whale bones uncovered in recent years have told us much about the behemoth sea creatures

In 1961, HAM the chimpanzee became the first upright hominid to go into space. After his death in 1983, he was interred at the New Mexico Museum of Space History.

Famous Animal Gravesites Around the World

It's not just Kentucky Derby winners that are buried with great honor

Where do they go? How many are there? What's with the tusk? Narwhals (in the Arctic Ocean) have inspired myth and wonder but are still little known to science.

In Search of the Mysterious Narwhal

Ballerina turned biologist Kristin Laidre gives her all to study the elusive, deep-diving, ice-loving whale known as the "unicorn of the sea"

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True to Form

An exact replica represents a particular North Atlantic whale

Separated from his pod along the Pacific Coast, Luna befriended the people of remote Nootka Sound on the western shore of Canada’s Vancouver Island.

Befriending Luna the Killer Whale

How a popular Smithsonian story about a stranded orca led to a new documentary about humanity’s link to wild animals

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Songs from the Deep

Tuning in to why humpbacks sing

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Big Love

In a mating ritual, male humpback whales leap, splash and fight. But researchers ask: just what does a female whale want?

The Tonan Maru No. 2 whaling factory ship, drafted into military use, was damaged by a Dutch submarine while taking part in the landing at Kuching, Borneo.

Blood in the Water

Japan's lethal whale research draws criticism

Luna in Vancouver Island's Nootka Sound

Whale of a Tale

When Luna, a people-loving orca, chose Vancouver Island's Nootka Sound for his home, he set in motion a drama of leviathan proportions

Close Encounters

Northwest of Seattle, an overly friendly orca polarizes a community

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Thar They Blow!

Gentle giants? New research suggests that male sperm whales may butt heads over females

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