Articles tagged as Whales | Smithsonian Magazine

A humpback supergroup off the coast of South Africa

Scientists Spot Hundreds of Humpback Whales Feeding in Massive Groups

The normally solitary creatures gathered off the southwestern coast of South Africa, puzzling researchers

March 13, 2017

See the First Video of One of the World’s Rarest Whales

The 46 second clip of several True’s beaked whales was taken by students and teachers on a field trip in the Azore Islands in 2013

March 8, 2017

Three polar bears climbing on a snow-covered pile of bowhead whale bones on Barter Island near Kaktovik, Alaska.

The Politics of Viewing Polar Bears

Tourists flock to this coastal Alaskan town to photograph the vulnerable icons—raising hairy ethical questions

February 27, 2017

New Zealand volunteers formed a human chain in the water at a remote beach on Friday as they tried to save about 100 whales after more than 400 of the creatures beached themselves in one of the worst whale strandings in the nation's history.

Up to 300 have died and volunteers are scrambling to get the remaining creatures back in the water

February 10, 2017

Like most innovations in science, the study of whale earwax—a.k.a. earplugs—as oceanic core samples came about by asking a question no one had thought to ask.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

For Scientists, Chunks of Whale Earwax Can Be Biological Treasure Troves

Biologists are waxing poetic about these unusual oceanic core samples found in the ears of cetaceans

January 25, 2017

Scarce resources could push killer whales into menopause.

New Research

Orca Moms Might Go Into Menopause Because of Their Daughters

Competition could explain this evolutionary mystery

January 13, 2017

J2, better known as "Granny," was the oldest-known living orca.

Over a century old, “Granny” hasn’t been spotted since early October

January 3, 2017

New Research

Unidentified Complex Sound From Earth’s Deepest Trench May Be New Whale Call

Known as the Western Pacific Biotwang, researchers believe it may be a previously unrecoreded call from a dwarf minke whale

December 20, 2016

Erich Fitzgerald and Tim Ziegler with a 3D model of Alfred's skull.

New Research

The Earliest Baleen Whales Literally Sucked

No offense to toothy whale ancestors

December 1, 2016

This whale is on is own sightseeing tour.

Cool Finds

New York’s Upper West Side Has Its Own Whale

The mammal is on what seems to be an epic tour of Manhattan

November 21, 2016

Legacy is scheduled to be on display at the Ontario Science Centre beginning in 2017 before embarking on an international tour.

Art Meets Science

This Whale Sculpture Was Modeled After a Beached Orca

Canadian artist Ken Hall built Legacy based on 3D scans of the skeleton of Hope, an orca that died on the coast of Washington in 2002

November 18, 2016

A mysterious sound has baffled residents of a far-flung hamlet

November 7, 2016

This drone is designed to start controlled burns of grassland.

10 New Ways to Use Drones

From fighting wildfires to coaching people on their tennis game, the aerial devices are becoming a tool of choice

August 10, 2016

The skeleton of a new species of beaked whale in Unalaska high school

New Research

New Species of Beaked Whale Discovered in Alaska

DNA analysis and a washed up corpse confirm this a new dark-colored species of beaked whale

July 28, 2016

Cool Finds

Track the Whereabouts of This Rare White Whale on Twitter

These beautiful creatures have long delighted those lucky enough to catch a glimpse

July 28, 2016

Two skulls belonging to extinct marine mammal herbivores used in the new study, both from the Smithsonian's collections.

When Did Today’s Whales Get So Big?

More recently than you might think, say scientists who scoured the fossil record

July 14, 2016

Basque craftsmen showed up with a 26 foot-long skeleton, oak timber and other traditional materials and set up shop on the National Mall to build a ship at the Smithsonian’s 2016 Folklife Festival.

There’s a Lot More to This Basque Boat Than Meets the Eye

The lost story of the Basque heritage is just waiting to be discovered and could be revealed just by watching craftsmen rebuild an ancient whaler

July 1, 2016

Sperm whales, giant squid and humans all have a mitochondrial "Eve."

No, a Mitochondrial ‘Eve’ Is Not the First Female in a Species

The latest story about a sperm whale “Eve” shows how people misunderstand the evolutionary term. Fear not: We can clarify

June 28, 2016

Fossilized teeth from an ancient sperm whale

Cool Finds

Landfill Surprises Scientists With 12-Million-Year-Old Whale Fossils

The fossilized remains of a sperm whale were discovered in a newly cleared area of an Orange County landfill

June 27, 2016

New Research

Every Sperm Whale Alive Today May Have Descended From the Same Female

An 80,000-year-old “Eve” was the mother of all modern sperm whales—literally

June 21, 2016