Baleen whales

Are humpback whales really not threatened anymore?

/ / Whale Science / , ,

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 […]

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Got balls? Not like the Southern Right Whale!

/ / Whale Science / , ,

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

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Scientists Found Microplastics In Baleen Whale Poop Off New Zealand

/ / Whale Science / , ,

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

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

/ / Whale Science / ,

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

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Humpback whale males escort females giving birth, but it can get chaotic

/ / Whale Science / , ,

As if giving birth was not hard enough, when you are trying to push a 1.5-tons baby out of your womb, having to deal with hormone-triggered males adds another level of stress to a humpback whale in labor. A new study published this September detailed six previously un-published humpback whale birth events. In most cases,

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Don’t flip out: whales jump for more than one porpoise

/ / Whale Science / , ,

Have you ever asked, “Why do whales jump?” Well, there’s not a precise answer, but we will try to answer it in this post, so keep reading. If you’ve ever played in shallow water, you might have used your feet to push off the bottom and pretend to jump out of the water like a

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Humpback Whales: Migrating Giants

/ / Whale of the Month / , , , , ,

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are fascinating marine mammals; they are among the largest whale species on the planet. They are found in almost every ocean and might also be the nicest animals in the world. They also happen to have one of the longest migrations of any mammal. In this post, we’ll learn more about

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How can snot-collecting drones help with whale conservation?

/ / Whale Science / , , ,

When we think about whale conservation, we can picture researchers frantically taking photos of surfacing whales, dangling over the edge of a research boat collecting biopsy samples or elbow deep into a carcass. However, recently, some whale scientists are on a mission to collect a less conventional sample: whale snot! What is whale snot, and

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Are humpback whales the nicest animals in the world?

/ / Whale Science / , ,

Altruism: the belief in or practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others. Compassion: sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. These two words are usually applied to humans and situations involving us. But one question stands: Could some animals like humpback whales have the ability to feel and express

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