Animals & Science

Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are large aquatic mammals found in every ocean on the planet. Immortalized as the "white whale" in Hermann Melville's "Moby Dick," sperm whales have come to...

Little is known about whales because they spend much of their lives underwater at depths where direct observation is not an option. The specifics of their migrations, where and how long they dive,...

The ocean and the creatures in it have fascinated humans for millenniums, and whales hold a particular place in our hearts. Whales are among the few species of mammals to live entirely in water,...

The world's oceans and waterways are filled with many different creatures. Some of them are mysterious, some colorful and vibrant, and others are just plain tasty. The mammals of the oceans and...

There are many species of whales in the ocean, and not all of them are endangered. However, there are 11 species on the endangered list, and several other species that are vulnerable or seriously...

There are 11 species of whales on the endangered list, and many other whale species are in danger of becoming extinct. Because of their diverse habitat and adaptability, the Killer whale...

Santa Barbara Channel and the Channel Islands come alive with whales from late spring through early summer. In December and January the whales migrate between their feeding grounds in the Arctic...

Humpback whales use a fishing technique called bubble netting, or lunge netting, to filter feed. Learn about the fish that humpback whales like to eat, such as herring, with help from an aquatic...

Whales catch food through the use of echolocation, which involves sending out a rhythmic clicking and buzzing noise that will bounce off objects, letting the whales know the distance between...

In terms of what whales eat, baleen whales swim through large groups of fish, shrimp, larvae and plankton, filtering the food and flushing out the water and sediment. Discover how toothed whales...

Whales protect their young by traveling in pods of several, where the adult whales are able to watch all of the calves in the group. Find out how whales protect their young from orca whales and...

Whales sleep by only allowing half of their brain to rest at a time so that they may look out for danger and breath air at the surface of the water. Discover a whale's sleeping patterns with...

Gray whales eat bottom-dwelling creatures, such as tube worms, larvae, plankton, crabs and small fish. Find out how the gray whale filters the food from the water with information from an...

There are more than 40 species of dolphins, including bay dolphins, bottle-nosed dolphins, river dolphins and killer whales. Find out how many different dolphins have unique characteristics with...

Dolphins are intelligent marine mammals that inhabit every ocean of the world and are very closely related to whales and porpoises. There are 33 known species of marine dolphins and another four...

Antarctica, the frozen continent that contains the earth's South Pole, is surrounded by seas that teem with marine life. Because whales feed there, whalers follow. However, because the earth's...

The killing of whales has been part of the human culture for thousands of years. It is more commonly known as whaling and it is a topic of heated debate among fishermen, conservationists,...

A group of whales is called a pod. Although they are not actual whales, dolphins, orcas and pilot whale groups are also called pods. Pods refer to more than two whales in a group--otherwise they...

Whales are the largest creatures on earth, and while not all of them are bigger than a school bus, few would argue that any of them are less than majestic. While they are all to some extent social...

Whales are some of the heaviest creatures in the world, not just in the oceans, but on land as well. They don't sink because most of their vast bodies are made up of a type of fat called blubber....

Most pictures of wild hippopotamuses show them wallowing in the water, grazing. That is what most hippopotamuses do at zoos, too. It is hard to imagine that an animal this large can run at speeds...

Dolphins are members of the whale family, classified as toothed whales. People do not generally lump dolphins in with the much larger whales, but they have striking similarities. They are both...

The whale family includes the largest creature ever on the planet Earth-- the blue whale. This whale can reach lengths of 100 feet long and weigh in at more than 120 tons. It would be hard to...

Dolphins are popular marine mammals that can reach a size of 20 feet in length and weigh thousands of pounds. Larger than their cousins the porpoise, dolphins lack hair like other mammals and feed...

The 1993 film "Free Willy" made captive killer whales blockbuster superstars. Officially named "Orca" whales, these large members of the dolphin family attract millions to...

The different species of dolphins are spread across every ocean and several major rivers around the world. While they may range in size, geographical location and looks, humans are captivated by...

The humpback whale was declared an endangered species in 1966 and given protective status by the International Whaling Commission.

Whales are one species that use echolocation to communicate and locate prey. Echolocation is the process of emitting sound and interpreting its vibration. Echolocation helps whales to navigate and...

The blue whale is the largest creature on Earth, but not much is known about this amazing ocean dweller. As we continue to explore our oceans, more information about blue whales will help to...

Whales communicate with one another in a spoken language, including when attracting a a prospective mates. In addition to the mating calls, some whales--primarily those that travel in...

Like dolphins, killer whales are voluntary breathers, meaning their breathing is not automatic like it is for humans. Instead, they must consciously rise to the surface and breathe. This makes...

Understanding whale gender differences is key to understanding the mating process. Whale gender is often hard to judge, as neither gender has greatly visually defining characteristics. Generally,...

Greenpeace was founded under the guiding principle of protecting the environment and saving endangered species. Greenpeace campaigns have been successful in helping to create greater laws of...

Due to the fact that virtually every whale part utilized in the past can now be substituted by some product that would not require the killing of an animal, it is very difficult for one to clearly...

Blue whales are the largest mammals to ever live, and they may be the largest animal to ever live. They are found in all the oceans of the world. They are currently endangered, as whaling is...

The process of whale sleep is quite different and alien to that of humans. Whales have a respiratory system that allows them to survive beneath the waves for up to and beyond 30 minutes at a time,...

All whales take air into their respiratory system from a blowhole, which acts as a nostril and is located on the top of a whale's back. Whales that use baleen to catch food normally have two...

Scientists understand very little about how whales sleep. An observation by scientists observing sperm whales off the coast of Northern Chile has shed some light on the subject.

Killer whales are known to travel up to 500 miles a week in search of food. Locating and acquiring food is a daily task for whales, and in the depths of the sea in which they typically travel and...

Humpback whales, once hunted almost to extinction, are slowly returning to their original numbers. Known for their beautiful whale song and acrobatic behavior, they have one of the longest...

Blue whales joined the endangered species list in 1970. Though commercial whaling has been banned, the population of blue whales remains at the ‘endangered' level. Both the Endangered...

Humpback whales travel through every oceanic body known to man. There are around 80,000 in the wild. Few people ever get the chance to see a humpback whale, even though they make the news...

Whale watching is a popular activity in many coastal areas. While many whale-watching vessels offer narratives of the types of whales you'll see, it certainly helps to educate yourself before...

Every year many species are pushed to or are beyond the brink of extinction. Wildlife organizations save many of these endangered animals. A popular program by which these organizations raise...

Commercial whaling, pollution and slow reproduction put many whale species, like the blue whale and right whale, into vulnerable positions. Although many organizations are working to save whales,...