We found long-banned pesticides and industrial pollutants in the blubber of humpback whales from Antarctica, suggesting these contaminants accumulate in Antarctic food webs. The pollution levels however were the some of the lowest measured in the world for these whales. Good news for the whales! Our study on humpback whales from Antarctica just got published […]
What can whales tell us about pollution in Antarctica? Read More »
It is a solid, waxy, greyish substance that smells: Ambergris, is also known as sperm whale vomit (or poop). It has often been described as one of the world’s strangest natural occurrences. You may have heard about it for its use in the production of perfumes and fragrances. You’re probably asking yourself now why smelly
Pooping Gold? The Valuable Secret of the Sperm Whale Read More »
The Arctic is an extreme environment and surviving on ice when you are a vulnerable Arctic seal pup can be pretty tough. Fortunately, seals have developed strategies to thrive in the cold. Keep reading to find out how. The Arctic is an extreme environment. The Arctic is the region surrounding the North Pole. It consists
How do Arctic seal pups survive in the cold? Read More »
Whales can adapt to seasonal and environmental conditions. But they are not working alone… They, just like us, team up with a vast army of microscopic soldiers every day called the microbiome. Different microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, make up the whale’s microbiome. We can take a look at the composition of whales’ microbiomes
New Research Suggests Fasting Could Impact Humpback Whales’ Respiratory Health Read More »
This post talks about the future of sperm whales and other deep-divers in the Canary Islands. Sperm whales are such amazing animals. These whales are the world’s largest toothed whales, living up to 70 years. These giant whales are quite similar to submarine: they can deep-dive while holding their breath for about 45 minutes below
Protecting the Canary Islands’ sea and its sperm whales Read More »
Whales did not just appear from the depths of the ocean. They have an intriguing evolutionary story. This story shines a light on what makes them so unique and well-adapted for their watery world. In this post, we explain the evolution of whales, from tiny ungulates to the killer whale. It All Began on Land…
These Hips Don’t Lie! The Evolution of Whales Read More »
What do middle-aged women and whales have in common? Perhaps the unexpected answer is … menopause. Although they don’t have to suffer through hot flashes and mood swings, several whale species stop getting pregnant midway through life. So-called post-reproductive lifespans have puzzled biologists for years. After all, evolutionary theory taught us that the whole purpose
The Mystery of Menopausal Whales Read More »
Here is the story of Fluker, the fluke-less fin whale. This female whale became famous in the Mediterranean Sea because she lost her tail about a year ago. Through this post, we would like to raise awareness on boat strikes and drifting nets that injure/kill many whales everywhere, every year. Today, Fluker, the whale with
The whale with no tail – Fluker is dying Read More »
A TikTok video became viral in the last couple of days. In this video, you can see a person pressing their hand on a beluga whale’s squishy head. The video had a lot of people enraged because they believed the person was mistreating the whale by pressing on its brain. We decided to write this
Beluga whale’s squishy head explained Read More »
Whales spend their entire lives in the ocean. Their bodies are completely adapted to life in the water. Among amazing evolutionary features, whales’ noses (called blowholes) moved to the top of their head so they can breathe easily without having to put their heads out of the water (check our post on blowholes for more
Do whales drink seawater? Read More »
