Humpback whales bubble net feeding near Wrangell Alaska.
buff.ly/YmwwKyk #whales #humpback #feeding #bubblenet #bubblenetfeeding #alaska #ocean #forest #pod #baleen #nature #reflections #wildlife #wildlifephotography #FAArtist #buyart #HomeDecor #wallart #artforsale #artstore #travel #travelphotography #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #wallartforsale #giftideas @joancarroll
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🦊🐋 #Indohyus was a #fox-sized, semi-aquatic mammal that lived in and around the coast of an island #India 49 to 45 million years ago.
#Fossil evidence, including a #skull accidentally broken in the lab in 2007, showed whale-like inner-ear #bones that placed it as the closest non-whale relative of all modern #whales. It gave rise to #Pakicetus and a chain of increasingly aquatic ancestors leading to today’s toothed and #baleen whales.
👉 discoverwildlife.com/prehistor…
#evolution #paleontology #cetaceans #eocene #marine #biology #animals #wildlife #mammals #hippos #bluewhales #dogs #pigs
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋🎵 In 1984-85, thousands of belugas trapped in #Arctic pack #ice off #Russia’s #Chukchi Peninsula faced starvation.
The #icebreaker Moskva crushed an escape channel, playing #classical #music to coax the herd forward. Roughly 2,000 survived and about 1,000 died, though the music’s role stayed unverified.
👉 zmescience.com/feature-post/hi…
#beluga #whales #marine #rescue #animals #behavior #ocean #conservation #engineering #history #sovietunion #ussr #wildlife #marinebiology #biology #science
Sometimes, you just need an icebreaker and some classical music to make your day better.Alexandru Micu (ZME Science)
Our climate fiasco: Falls in whale sightings, rare seabirds appearing
"A huge, long-lasting and extreme marine heatwave stayed in place for many months. It became known as “the Blob”. Water temperatures were between 2°C and 6°C above normal. While this may not seem like a drastic change, it led to widespread ecosystem disruption. At least 240 species were found outside their normal ranges – some further north than ever recorded."
"It’s hard to overstate how extensive its effects were. Kelp forests disappeared. Millions of starfish dissolved into goo. Whales died. Seabirds starved. Toxic algal blooms appeared." >>
theconversation.com/falls-in-w…
#FossilFuels #ClimateFiasco #MarineHeatwave #HABs #MassMortalities #heatwaves #heatrecords #krill #whales #birds #seabirds #loss #biodiversity #LossOfHabitability #SacrificeZones
Could marine heatwaves in the cold Southern Ocean be making animals and birds migrate? It’s possible – but we need better monitoring to know.The Conversation
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋🫧 Sperm #whales blow bubbles to keep from floating up while napping vertically in the #water. Researchers monitored 42 whales off #Norway’s #Lofoten Islands with suction-cup recording devices.
👉 popsci.com/environment/sperm-w…
#spermwhales #marinebiology #animals #behavior #ocean #science #cetaceans #sleep #biology #nature
The large toothed whales are known for their signature vertical sleeping skills.Margherita Bassi (Popular Science)
"Sperm whales change ‘vowel’ sounds when boats are nearby, scientists discover"
theguardian.com/environment/20…
Researchers listening off the Caribbean island of Dominica found variations in the mammals’ audible clicks when marine traffic was closeEmma Bryce (the Guardian)
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🦇🧠 A 2021 study found #blind and sighted people can learn click #echolocation in just 10 weeks.
Follow up scans by #Durham University researchers showed structural changes in the #brain’s visual cortex. A separate 2025 study examined how 30 million years of echolocation #evolution shaped dolphin and whale brains.
👉 sciencealert.com/humans-can-ec…
#neuroplasticity #science #biology #humanbody #sound #adaptation #learning #neuroscience #dolphins #whales #disability #humans #animals #bats
Echolocation is a fascinating way that animals like bats and whales find their way around the world.David Nield (ScienceAlert)
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋💥 Researchers in the Gulf of #California filmed orcas ramming dead #sunfish so hard the carcasses exploded.
The high impact strategy breaks #food into smaller pieces for juveniles and may also serve as #play. The sunfish’s rudder like tail seems to make a convenient handle for the #orcas to hold while striking.
👉 arstechnica.com/science/2026/0…
#marine #science #animals #behavior #ethology #mammals #whales #predator #prey #ocean
“We think this may help younger orcas feed more easily, or it could also just be for fun.”...Jennifer Ouellette (Ars Technica)
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋⚓ Sperm whales near #Dominica shorten their click sequences and shift their vowel-like #sounds when #ships are present, according to researchers from #ProjectCETI and #UCBerkeley.
The team analyzed over 1,000 codas from 15 #whales over four years, finding that rhythm and click timing best predict nearby #vessels. The findings add to efforts to decode whale #language and understand how human noise affects #marine life.
👉 popsci.com/environment/sperm-w…
#spermwhales #cetaceans #animals #communication #bioacoustics #science #conservation #mammals #animalbehavior #linguistics #research
Sailing by a sperm whale? They may be talking about you.Laura Baisas (Popular Science)
Big Fish Eat Little Fish (1556) by Bruegel the Elder, Pieter van der Heyden.
Source: The Metropolitan Museum
pdimagearchive.org/images/f00d…
#ladders #whales #power #proverbs #fish #injustice #allegory #eating #boats #art #publicdomain
1557 engraving by Pieter van der Heyden from Pieter Bruegel’s 1556 drawingPublic Domain Image Archive
Some guy collected whale poop in his freezer for years before a researcher was interested to study them
“Samples of whale feces collected by a man from South Australia have contributed to what is described as a “groundbreaking” study of diets and microbiomes of southern right whales, according to researchers.”
GOOD NEWS: Blue and fin whale sightings off Southern Africa have increased in recent years, hinting that these giants may be slowly recovering after being virtually wiped out by 20th‑century whaling.
Nature heals when we give it the chance ❤️🩹
"Sightings off Southern Africa suggest blue and fin whales may be rebounding"
news.mongabay.com/short-articl…
Sightings of blue whales and fin whales off Southern Africa’s Atlantic coast have increased in recent years, according to a newly published study.Shreya Dasgupta (Mongabay Environmental News)
💁🏻♀️ ICYMI: 🐋❄️ In #Antarctica, a #research team spent an hour floating with three #humpback #whales that swam directly under and around their small inflatable boat.
The curious #animals stayed less than a meter away to look closely at the crew.
👉 Learn more at seethis.tv/post/humpback-whale…
#adventure #biology #boats #calm #marinebiology #ocean #science #scientists #womeninstem #tksst #video
💁🏻♀️ ICYMI: 🐋❄️ In #Antarctica, a #research team spent an hour floating with three #humpback #whales that swam directly under and around their small inflatable boat.
The curious #animals stayed less than a meter away to look closely at the crew.
👉 Learn more at seethis.tv/post/humpback-whale…
#adventure #biology #boats #calm #marinebiology #ocean #science #scientists #womeninstem #tksst #video
"Different sperm whale ‘dialects’ detected on separate sides of the Mediterranean"
#Mediterranean #Whales #Animals
theguardian.com/environment/20…
Matriarchal groups in east and west exhibit distinct click patterns, used to form social structuresNicola Davis (the Guardian)
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋🗣️ Sperm #whales in the #Mediterranean are splitting into two dialect groups: eastern whales clicking faster, western whales clicking slower, according to researchers.
By studying over 5,000 recordings from #Greece and #Spain, scientists discovered distinct regional accents.
👉 sciencealert.com/whales-appear…
#spermwhales #animals #communication #culture #cetaceans #bioacoustics #marinebiology #evolution #nature #science #mammals #wildlife
In the sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, a cultural divide may be underway.Michelle Starr (ScienceAlert)
💁🏻♀️ ICYMI: 🐋❄️ In #Antarctica, a #research team spent an hour floating with three #humpback #whales that swam directly under and around their small inflatable boat.
The curious #animals stayed less than a meter away to look closely at the crew.
👉 Learn more at seethis.tv/post/humpback-whale…
#adventure #biology #boats #calm #marinebiology #ocean #science #scientists #womeninstem #tksst #video
💁🏻♀️ NEW: 🐋❄️ In #Antarctica, a #research team spent an hour floating with three #humpback #whales that swam directly under and around their small inflatable boat.
The curious #animals stayed less than a meter away to look closely at the crew.
👉 Learn more at seethis.tv/post/humpback-whale…
#adventure #biology #boats #calm #marinebiology #ocean #science #scientists #womeninstem #tksst #video
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋🦐 #Water buoyancy freed #whales from #gravity’s limits, and the cold #ocean pushed them to grow bigger to stay warm.
Researchers showed the key was krill: a single mouthful gives blue whales 200 times the #energy they use to lunge, a payoff only possible at giant sizes.
👉 popsci.com/environment/why-blu…
#bluewhales #evolution #science #biology #mammals #climate #iceage #migration #stanford #louisiana
Yes, even bigger than the dinosaurs.Sarah Philip (Popular Science)
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋🦴 Chinese scientists piloting the submersible Fendouzhe in the southeast #IndianOcean found fossil sites spanning 1,200 km at depths up to 7,000 m.
The #bones belong mostly to beaked #whales, with the oldest dating back 5.3 million years. Living #jellyfish, brittle stars, and bone-boring #worms still call these ancient carcasses home, allowing whale fall to serve as a #deepsea #ecosystem.
👉 popsci.com/environment/whale-g…
#fossils #marinebiology #science #beakedwhales #paleontology #submersible #nature #pliocene #ocean #expedition
A 5.3-million-year old fossil was lurking inside this extensive whale fall.Laura Baisas (Popular Science)
2️⃣/2️⃣ By reconstructing historical whaling routes, scientists identified Arctic sea ice refuges where bowhead whales were protected from industrial hunting for decades.
Those safe havens reduced the impact of whaling on some populations and may explain why they are rebounding today. 🐋
@internetarchive @TheConversationUS #DigitalPreservation #OpenAccess #Conservation #Whales #MarineScience #Biodiversity #History #Archives
"A boat trip can emit the same carbon as an 186-mile road trip. So this captain made his whale-watching boat emission-free"
#Boats #Emissions #Whales #Animals
goodgoodgood.co/articles/whale…
Captain Dan Salas of Harbor Breeze Cruises has been working on the project for five years.Meghan Cook (Good Good Good)
"Supertrawlers Are Taking Antarctic Krill That Whales Depend On"
e360.yale.edu/features/antarct…
In the icy waters of the Southern Ocean, whales and other marine mammals rely on krill to survive. But as the market for human dietary supplements and animal feeds booms, and climate change reduces krill populations, scientists worry there may not be…Yale E360
"Increased Sightings of the Two Largest Whale Species Decimated By Hunting Provides New Hope for Survival"
goodnewsnetwork.org/increased-…
Increased sightings of the world's two largest whale species–the blue and fin—offers new hope for the future of the endangered ocean giants.Good News Network
🐋🪞 In a new study, two #beluga #whales at a #NewYork #aquarium showed possible self-recognition in a mirror – one even pressing a mark behind her ear against the reflective surface.
The results place belugas alongside #chimpanzees, #dolphins, #elephants, and maybe #magpies on a short list of species that pass. But scientists disagree on what the test actually proves, and the debate itself raises deeper questions about animal #consciousness.
👉 arstechnica.com/science/2026/0…
#science #marinebiology #biology #animals #zoology #ocean #psychology #neurobiology #ethology
The white whales join the short, contested list of animals that see themselves.Ars Contributors (Ars Technica)
Entanglement is an animal welfare issue- Injuries cause prolonged suffering for whales and dolphins – early intervention is crucial
"Globally, scientists estimate 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises are killed each year due to entanglement or incidental capture (bycatch)."
"In one recent Australian case, rescuers removed hundreds of metres of fishing line, hooks, rope and buoys from a young whale whose movement and feeding ability had already been severely compromised."
"Even when animals are successfully disentangled, stress, impaired feeding, chronic pain and severe infection from entanglement injuries may already be irreversible."
"Rescue is not simply whether the animal is cut free from the net but whether the intervention allows full recovery afterwards." >>
theconversation.com/entangleme…
#fishing #entanglement #traps #boats #dumping #bycatch #MarineMammals #injuries #septicaemia #whales #dolphins #strandings #birds #wildlife #Biodiverisity #conservation #garbage #ocean
Entanglement is a major animal welfare issue for marine mammals. A successful rescue is not just whether an animal is cut free but whether it recovers from injuries.The Conversation
Dying #whales when they hear someone speaking #German
@Dolphinchaz @panda @HarriettMB
Yesterday's Humpback whale in the Inverness Firth has been spotted today along the coast past Spey Bay and Cullen so he/she made it out again safely from these relatively shallow waters.
in other News
bbc.com/future/article/2026041…
On a misty morning in December, two photographers captured the images of 304 individual humpbacks – the highest number of large whales ever identified in a single day.Katherine Latham (BBC)
Number Four of the Tokaido (1850) by Utagawa Hiroshige.
Source: Rijksmuseum
Available to buy as a print.
pdimagearchive.org/images/5bbf…
#whales #ukiyo-e #japan #montage #oysters #art #publicdomain
" ''Krill wars'
back on in southern ocean as activist ship Bandero deliberately collides with Aker QRILL trawler. Aker QRILL is the world's largest harvester of krill, which is used in aquaculture feed, pet food, bait and nutritional supplements."
"The Bandero delivered a gentle but deliberate nudge to the stern of the Antarctic Sea, accompanied by a message: Stop despoiling the ecological integrity of the Southern Ocean...In recent years, several whales have been killed during krill fishing harvesting." >>
abc.net.au/news/2026-04-02/tas…
Krill for whales, seals, penguins, and fish or fat cats?
#krill #biodiversity #ecosystem #MarineLife #whales #Antarctica #fishing #pets #PetFood #cats
An environmental activist group’s ship has deliberately collided with a large fishing trawler in Antarctic waters. The activists say it was a "gentle nudge" but the trawler's owner says a line has been crossed.Jano Gibson (ABC News)
The Sea Serpent and Sperm Whale as Seen from the Pauline (1883) by Henry Lee, from Sea Monsters Unmasked
.
Source: University of Toronto Libraries / Internet Archive
Available to buy as a print.
pdimagearchive.org/images/20c8…
#whales #sea-serpents #monsters #sea-monsters #fables #art #publicdomain
Redraw of a older piece done in 2019, original drawing last slide
#orca #orcas #killerwhale #killerwhale #cetacean #cetaceans #cetaart #whale #whales #dolphin #dolphins #art #artist #artwork #artoftheday #artlover #traditionalart #draw #drawing #drawings #ocean #sea #marinelife #animalart #animal #animals #prismacolor #prismacolorpencils #pencildrawing #pencilart #coloredpencilart #trend #trending #like #comment #share #follow #love #cute #commissionartist #commission
Purple killer whale, drawn 2 years ago now
#orca #orcas #killerwhale #killerwhale #whale #whales #dolphin #dolphins #cetacean #cetaceans #cetaart #ocean #sea #marinelife #animalart #art #artlover #artist #artwork #artoftheday #drawings #drawingart #prismacolor #prismacolorpencils #pencildrawing #pencilart #coloredpencilart #trend #like #share #comment #cute #animals #animal #traditionalart #smallartist #fyp #tiktok #trending
what awesome shot 😯 #humpback #whales
"#HumpbackWhales at Lennox Head in July 2025 by Danielle Smith"
smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-sy…
#SMH #year2025 #photography #wildOz
The year in photos selected by our award-winning staff photographers and regular contributing photographers at The Sydney Morning Herald.The Sydney Morning Herald
Female named Rounder surrounded by family members when about to give birth to her second calfGuardian staff reporter (the Guardian)
Scientists documented whales in a group assisting in the birth
No cetaceans needed, they got video
scientificamerican.com/article…
#Marine #Science #Nature #Whales #Cetaceans
Sperm whales are known to socialize, but scientists were stunned when they saw a group of sperm whales gather as one of them gave birthJackie Flynn Mogensen (Scientific American)
“Even in its early years, WHOI was a leader in marine mammal bioacoustics. But Jester said grabbing the earliest known recording of a humpback whale was somewhat by chance.
‘1949, after World War II, the US Navy had figured out that sonar was really important, but we still didn’t know a lot about how sound traveled underwater — the physics of it, how it was impacted by depth and salinity and temperature,’ she said.” - Amy Kolb Noyes
wgbh.org/news/local/2026-03-16…
Archivists and researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have unearthed a recording from the 1940s.Amy Kolb Noyes | CAI (GBH)
Older Male Whales More Successful at Mating Because They’re Better Singers, Shows Study
goodnewsnetwork.org/older-male…
#goodnews #goodearth #animals #marinelife #whales #nature #ocean
Older male whales are more successful at mating than their younger rivals because they are better singers, suggests new research.Good News Network
🦕🥚 Adult sauropods were longer than blue #whales, but their #eggs were only 30cm wide. New #research suggests these giants were simply too big to care for their young without accidentally crushing them. Instead, they left their babies to serve as an "all-you-can-eat" buffet for #Jurassic predators.
👉 scitechdaily.com/the-biggest-d…
#paleontology #dinosaurs #science #evolution #biology #nature #history
Canadian humpback whales thrive with a little help from their friends
sciencenews.org/article/humpba…
Humpback whales are teaching each other a feeding technique called bubble netting, and it's helping a Canadian population recover from whaling.Science News Magazine (Science News)
New blog post!
Thanks to Hurricane Camille, we discovered some unusual whale ribs.
If you like what you read, please support the blog and the Western Science Center by becoming a subscriber or leaving a tip.
#fossil #paleontology #scicomm #whales
life-from-a-certain-point-of-v…
Thanks to Hurricane Camille, we discovered an odd set of whale ribs.Alton Dooley (Life...From a Certain Point of View)
