Whales

A blue whale specimen, dating from 1936, from the Gulf of Mexico is part of a rare Smithsonian collection of whale fetuses.

Rare Collection of Whale Fetuses Reveals the Evolution of Cetacean Hearing

Smithsonian researchers offer up an unprecedented glimpse at the development of the “acoustic funnel,” an ear area found exclusively in whales

Killer whale mothers know best.

After Menopause, Killer Whale Moms Become Pod Leaders

When their reproductive years are done, females take on new roles as wise survival guides

What Makes Some Orca Whales Love a Good Belly Rub?

Some pods have been observed rubbing themselves on rocky beaches; scientists are still working to understand why

Scientists Finally Know How Baleen Whales Hear

A beached whale, a supercomputer, a scientific mystery solved

An illustration depicts a bowhead whale and its calf.

Listen to Newly Discovered Bowhead Whale Songs

Bowhead songs have been elusive, but researchers managed to record 12 unique songs using hydrophones

A bowhead whale is the longest-living mammal on earth

How a 200-Year-Old Whale Might Help Us Live Longer

Scientists have sequenced the genome of the world’s oldest-living mammal in search of the keys to longevity

A humpback whale in waters off southern Oman.

Humpback Whales in the Arabian Sea Have Been Isolated for 70,000 Years

Conservationists want this particular population of humpbacks to be classified as critically endangered

A "Sea Devil" as depicted by Conrad Gessner in Historia Animalium, 2nd ed, 1604.

Five “Real” Sea Monsters Brought to Life by Early Naturalists

From kraken to mermaids, some monsters are real—if you know how to look for them

To Find Out How Healthy Whales Are, Send in the Drones

A custom-built drone got close enough to whales to capture individuals' distinctive markings

Matt Dean (left) and Jim Dines (right) analyzed pelvic bones of whales and dolphins from 29 different species.

Promiscuous Whales Make Good Use of Their Pelvises

Hips don’t lie: Whale pelvic bones are not vestigial but instead evolved to help the marine mammals maneuver better during sex

Noc (in 1995) strongly “wanted to make a connection,” says former naval trainer Michelle Jeffries. “I think that was part of the thing behind him mimicking speech.”

The Story of One Whale Who Tried to Bridge the Linguistic Divide Between Animals and Humans

While captive in a Navy program, a beluga whale named Noc began to mimic human speech. What was behind his attempt to talk to us?

Whales And Dolphins Can Only Taste Salt

Almost all vertebrates enjoy five primary tastes, but not dolphins and whales

In March 2012, shipwrights at the Mystic Seaport Museum replace planks in the hull of the Charles W. Morgan. The restoration of the ship required more than 50,000 board feet of live oak and other woods for framing, planking and other structural elements.

For the First Time in 93 Years, a 19th-Century Whaling Ship Sets Sail

Built in 1841, the Charles W. Morgan is plying the waters off New England this summer

Trout River, Newfoundland, Canada

This Dead Whale Could Explode at Any Minute

The 81-foot whale hasn't exploded...yet

Thanks to New Shipping Guidelines, the Ocean Might Finally Become a Quieter Place

Noise from the shipping industry can stress and harm marine animals

The Prescription for Rheumatism Used to Be to Sit Inside a Rotting Whale for 30 Hours

The treatment's efficacy, however, remains questionable

Japan Has Been Ordered to Stop Whaling Near Antarctica

The United Nations called foul on Japan's claim that whaling is done for scientific purposes

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

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