Baleen whales

Whales and Dolphins Uniting for Survival, Bounty, or Companionship?

Cetaceans like whales, dolphins, and porpoises form interspecies associations for predator deterrence, predator avoidance, foraging, and socialization. These behaviors can involve thousands in a pod, with practices like coordinated feeding and shifts for vigilance against predators. Such alliances may also have aspects like alloparenting and possible interspecies communication, showcasing complex social dynamics and cooperative strategies among different species within the marine environment.

Whales and Dolphins Uniting for Survival, Bounty, or Companionship? Read More »

Why are baby whales and dolphins born with whiskers?

Vibrissae, or whiskers, are found in most mammals, including cetaceans like dolphins, whales, and porpoises. These were likely inherited from terrestrial ancestors, serving as sensory organs during these species’ evolution from land to water. While in many cetaceans, whiskers disappear as they mature, leaving behind small cavities termed ‘vibrissal crypts’, certain species, such as the Amazon river dolphin, retain them, helping in food detection and possibly electroreception.

Why are baby whales and dolphins born with whiskers? Read More »

Whale Scientists Story – Jasmin Groß

Jasmin Groß is a 33-year-old german postdoctorate research fellow. She works on humpback whale ecology at the Helmholtz Institut for Functional Marine Biodiversity, in Oldenburg, Germany. Jasmin’s education took her around the world I completed my studies at seven different universities all around the world. I did a gap year in the USA after high

Whale Scientists Story – Jasmin Groß Read More »

The Bowhead Whale, Queen of the Arctic

Happy September! After a short summer break, let’s welcome the bowhead whale as our whale of the month! These magnificent baleen whales only reside in the polar waters of the Arctic. They are also the oldest living mammal on earth. Let’s find out more about them! Queens and Kings of the Arctic Bowhead whales (Balaena

The Bowhead Whale, Queen of the Arctic Read More »

Are humpback whales really not threatened anymore?

Happy World Oceans’ Day, everybody! To celebrate, we are reflecting today on the humpback whales’ recovery and current threats. On this site, we’ve previously discussed both Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and international conservation efforts to protect whale populations after their decimation by the commercial whaling industry. Today, I wanted to bring these two together and

Are humpback whales really not threatened anymore? Read More »

Got balls? Not like the Southern Right Whale!

In our world, we say size does not matter. However, we find animals in the wild kingdom with various large parts: elephants have large trunks, baboons have oversized butts … and male southern right whales have massive testes. This article will explain the unique features of whales’ reproductive systems and explore the potential reasons for

Got balls? Not like the Southern Right Whale! Read More »

Scientists Found Microplastics In Baleen Whale Poop Off New Zealand

Ever since the creation of synthetic plastic in 1869, plastic has become an inescapable part of life on Earth. From large, bulky items to the invisible-to-the-naked-eye pieces, plastic circulates in the air, water, and even our blood and lungs. Today we are focusing on a new study that looked at microplastics in baleen whales off

Scientists Found Microplastics In Baleen Whale Poop Off New Zealand Read More »

The largest heart in the animal kingdom belongs to the blue whale

At the start of this year, we talked about the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Today we wanted to dive deeper into a specific part of their giant anatomy: their heart! It’s no surprise that blue whales have huge hearts since they are one of the largest animals ever to exist. Not only are these organs huge

The largest heart in the animal kingdom belongs to the blue whale Read More »

Scroll to Top