This creature had a whale of a time.
Japan’s new year resolution: resuming commercial whale hunting
The decision has been met with disappointment and criticism.
Ichthyosaur may have had blubber, which means the ‘sea monster’ may have been warm-blooded
Blubber is extremely rare among reptiles.
Sperm whale in Indonesia succumbed with 6 kilos of plastic in its belly
A gruelling reminder to curb our plastic pollution.
Humpback whales stop their song when human vessels make noise
Here’s another way we’re disrupting wildlife.
Underwater volcano found off Australian coast may act as superhighway for whales
The chain of seamounts is brimming with underwater life.
Whale skulls act like resonance chambers to help them hear underwater
First whole-body CT scan of a minke whale yields insights on whale communication
Beluga whales value culture and family ties
Whales are stunningly complex.
“Bowhead [whales] are jazz,” says researcher astonished by the diversity of their songs
They recorded 184 different songs from a population of about 300 individuals.
416 beached whales send New Zealanders into frantic rescue mission
It was truly haunting.
Megalodon extinction paved the way for whale development
Megalodon is quite possibly the most dangerous predator to ever live in the Earth’s waters in the recent geological history – roaming the seas between 28 to 1-3 million years ago. We’re still not sure why it went extinct, but a recent study suggests that its extinction paved the way for whales to grow more and more, reaching the enormous sizes we
Japan continues whaling, despite international ban
Tokyo announced a new round of culls in the Southern Ocean despite the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banning them from doing that. Sadistic hunts Despite sparking international outrage due to whaling, Japan shows no signs of stopping. A UN ban didn’t stop them, and apparently, neither will and IWC one. The 65th meeting of the world’s whale conservation body voted by 35 to
Who’s got the most efficient muscle engine : the tuna or the grey whale?
The humongous grey whale and the skipjack tuna, though of contradicting sizes, both employ similar propelling mechanisms through water. Pound per pound, however, which of the two animals is most energy efficient? Engineers at Northwestern University have developed a new metric for analyzing such problems and found that the two marine animals are almost just as energy efficient despite the great
UN court rules against Japan whaling
In what may be a historic decision, the UN’s top court has ordered Japan to stop its annual whale hunt in the Antarctic. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Tokyo’s arguments that whaling has scientific purposes, in a case which many believe will shape the future of the giant mammals. “Japan shall revoke any existant authorisation, permit or licence
World’s rarest whale, thought to be extinct, beached on New Zealand
The first recollection of the spade-toothed whale came in 1872, but no actual proof of its existence has been found ever since. Recently, biologists were dumbstruck when they heard not one, but two specimens of the highly elusive whale species beached on the shores of New Zealand. Unfortunately the two whales, mother and cub, died however scientists have learned a
New vital feeding sensory organ discovered in Rorqual whales
A group of researchers at University of British Columbia and the Smithsonian Institution have discovered a new sensory organ in rorqual whales, a subspecies of baleen whales, which also includes the largest animal that has ever lived, the blue whale, capable of reaching 150 tonnes. The scientists involved in the study claim that this organ plays a vital role in the Rorqual whales signature lunge-feeding behaviour,
Huge whale cemetery discovered in Chilean desert
Paleontologists have unearthed the remains of numerous whale fossils, dating back from seven million years ago, in Northern Chile. On further analysis it was revealed that the site in question is actually home to numerous other specimens, so far no less than 80 fossils have been recovered from the whale graveyard. “In 15 days, we have had almost 15 whales.
Whales suffer from sun burns too
You know those days when you go to the beach, and it’s just too hot outside, so you have to use some cream and all ? Well, it’s a little harder if you’re a whale. A recent study conducted that a whole lot of whales displayed blisters caused by sun damage. Laura Martinez-Levasseur, from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
