whales

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Scientists Surprised to Learn Whales Use 'Vocal Fry'

The marine mammals use it to help them find prey deep underwater

(Newser) - That low, rattling vocal register known as vocal fry—the Washington Post points to Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry as two examples of celebrities who have such gravelly voices—has proven a polarizing topic, with some insisting it's sexy, while others call it grating. But while the appeal of...

Mama Orca Adopted Baby Pilot Whale, a First
Mama Orca Adopted Baby
Pilot Whale, a First
new study
Feb 26, 2023 10:10 AM CST

Mama Orca Adopted Baby Pilot Whale, a First

But the story may not be as cuddly as it appears on the surface

(Newser) - Researchers studying killer whales near Iceland spotted an unusual thing: An adult female orca was acting like a mother to a baby pilot whale. In fact, "unusual" is an understatement—it's the first such case on record, reports Insider . The young pilot whale was swimming right along side...

Male Orcas Need Their Moms Well Into Adulthood
Orca Moms Pay Steep
Price for Their Adult Sons
new study
Feb 9, 2023 12:08 PM CST

Orca Moms Pay Steep Price for Their Adult Sons

They continue to provide food all through life, and the behavior takes a toll on the mothers

(Newser) - Researchers studying orcas have made a remarkable discovery about the relationship between females and their male offspring. It seems that mother orcas continue to feed their sons well into adulthood to help them survive, and the mothers do this at great sacrifice to themselves, reports the BBC . The study in...

Japanese Vending Machines Now Dispensing Whale Meat

Conservationists are worried about the development

(Newser) - A Japanese whaling operator, after struggling for years to promote its products amid protests from conservationists, has found a new way to cultivate clientele and bolster sales: whale meat vending machines. The Kujira (Whale) Store, an unmanned outlet that recently opened in the port town of Yokohama near Tokyo, houses...

Forever Chemicals Invade Orcas&mdash;and Their Fetuses
Forever Chemicals Invade
Orcas—and Their Fetuses
NEW STUDY
Jan 15, 2023 6:00 AM CST

Forever Chemicals Invade Orcas—and Their Fetuses

'We need to think about how this could affect our health,' says researcher

(Newser) - Researchers say they're "shocked and saddened" to have discovered toxic chemicals, including "forever chemicals," in the bodies of killer whales, including endangered southern resident orcas, whose population decline could be a direct result. Scientists from the University of British Columbia, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and BC'...

Whale Makes 'Amazing' but Heartbreaking Journey

Humpback with broken back made 3.1K-mile trek from Canada to Hawaii but likely won't live long

(Newser) - It's a story both inspiring and heartbreaking, and one that marine wildlife experts have been monitoring with admiration and deep concern. For at least the last decade, a humpback whale named Moon has been on the radar of scientists at the Fin Island whale research station off of British...

This Whale Sucks In an Astounding Amount of Microplastics

Blue whales, as well as other baleens, are ingesting millions of the tiny particles daily

(Newser) - Baleen whales —which include blue whales and humpbacks—are a type of whale that uses special filters instead of teeth to collect and eat small prey like krill and fish. Now, in a research first, scientists examining the consumption habits of these marine mammals have found they're...

More Dead Whales Are Turning Up on West Coast

At least 5 since mid-May, off of California and Canadian coasts

(Newser) - Scientists are probing the unexplained deaths of a fourth and fifth whale on the US and Canadian west coasts since mid-May. "Spike," a young female humpback first documented by scientists in 2018, was found washed ashore near Vancouver Island on Sunday, just a day after a male humpback...

At 'Hell's Gate,' Hundreds of Stranded Whales Languish

Half the whales beached in Tasmania may still be alive, but rescue is 'complex'

(Newser) - Almost two years ago to the day, close to 400 whales died after washing up on the shores near Macquarie Heads, Tasmania, in one of the largest strandings ever recorded. Now, deja vu on the Australian island's west coast. Some 230 whales have been beached near the town of...

Blue Apron, HelloFresh Are Ditching Lobster

Moves come after conservation group's warning about dangers to whales from fishing gear

(Newser) - Some retailers are taking lobster off the menu after an assessment from an influential conservation group that the seafood poses too much of a risk to rare whales and should be avoided. Whales can suffer injuries and even fatalities when they become entangled in the gear that connects to lobster...

Orcas Keep Damaging Boats, and Theories Are Interesting

It might be a 'fad,' or a case of young males who like propellers

(Newser) - The word is out among boaters along the coasts of European countries: Look out for orcas. For more than a year now, killer whales have been regularly causing trouble for boaters near France, Spain, Portugal, and elsewhere, reports NPR . Nobody has been injured, but the same can't be said...

'Unprecedented' Rescue of Stranded Whale Is Too Late

Beluga taken out of Seine to be transported back to chillier waters dies

(Newser) - A beluga whale stranded in the Seine, far from the colder waters where it belongs, has died during an attempted rescue, reports CNN . The first part of a multistage relocation operation took place early Wednesday, with the 13-foot-long, 1,800-pound marine mammal lifted out of the waters in northern France...

In the Seine, a Whale Far From Home
Whale Is Stranded in the Seine
Aug 5, 2022 9:53 AM CDT

Whale Is Stranded in the Seine

Officials are now trying to save the beluga in France, far from its usual home in chillier waters

(Newser) - A beluga whale is stranded far from home, and now French officials are trying to figure out how to get it to safety. The BBC reports that the skinny-looking whale is right now floating near Vernon, 45 miles or so northwest of Paris and way south of the chilly Arctic...

Breaching Whale Slams Right Onto Boat
Humpback Whale Leaps,
Comes Down on Boat
video
May 19, 2022 2:50 PM CDT

Humpback Whale Leaps, Comes Down on Boat

It happened in Mexico on Saturday

(Newser) - Getting up close and personal with nature proved dangerous in Mexico's Sea of Cortez on Saturday, when a boat that apparently got too close to a humpback whale ended up nearly being taken down by the creature. 9News reports that tourists on nearby boats in Topolobampo Bay off Sinaloa,...

At Infamous 'Death Trap for Whales,' a Sad New Find

34 long-finned pilot whales found beached in mass stranding at New Zealand's Farewell Spit

(Newser) - Farewell Spit, a perhaps aptly named 16-mile stretch of sand on the remote northern end of New Zealand's South Island, is making headlines for sad news that's become commonplace there. The island nation's Department of Conservation reported on Friday that 34 long-finned pilot whales have been found...

Whales Have a Unique Way to Avoid Choking
Whales Have a Unique
Way to Avoid Choking
new study
Jan 24, 2022 3:19 PM CST

Whales Have a Unique Way to Avoid Choking

Researchers say an 'oral plug' seals off airways from water during lunge feeding

(Newser) - Researchers say they've figured out what has long been a mystery about certain whales—how they keep from choking when taking in massive amounts of water while feeding. The answer? An "oral plug" at the back of their throats that shifts into place to seal off and protect...

After 3 Years, Mystery of Whale Postcards Is Solved

Attorney Matthew Strugar was the subject of a friendly prank for 3 years

(Newser) - If anyone deserves to get a postcard from a whale, it's Matthew Strugar, a civil rights attorney who made headlines several years ago by suing SeaWorld on behalf of the animals. The case, while unsuccessful, served the larger purpose of raising awareness about conditions and cemented Strugar's role...

Big Whales Eat a Whole Lot More Than We Thought
Big Whales Eat a Whole
Lot More Than We Thought
in case you missed it
Nov 7, 2021 5:10 PM CST

Big Whales Eat a Whole Lot More Than We Thought

We're talking up to 50M calories a day—the equivalent of about 80K Big Macs

(Newser) - It's no surprise that big whales are big eaters, but we may have underestimated just how much the largest varieties are actually consuming. According to new research, baleen whales—which include such species as humpbacks and blue whales—ingest three times more than we previously thought, with some able...

Man Swallowed Whole by Whale Is Doing Much Better Now

Michael Packard was diving for lobsters when he got gulped down off of Provincetown, Mass.

(Newser) - The Cape Cod Times calls Michael Packard's tale a "truly biblical" story, but for the 56-year-old Massachusetts man, he just considers it an incredibly lucky one. Packard, a lobster diver who's been working out of Provinceton for four decades, tells CBS Boston he was about 45 feet...

Teen in Coma After 'Headbutt' From a Whale

Family describes freak accident off Australia's east coast

(Newser) - They were, in a word, unlucky. A young Aussie fisherman is fighting for his life, and another is recovering from a concussion after a breaching whale fell on their boat Sunday. "They had no warning, and no time to react," family members say in a statement, per CNN...

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