Commercial whaling is a complicated topic. Almost everybody has a strong opinion about it, and discussions can get heated quickly. So let’s take a deep breath and try to keep the blood pressure low. Nowadays, three countries openly conduct commercial whaling: Japan, Norway, and Iceland. Indigenous people in various parts of the world, e.g., Alaska […]
Will whales be hunted for profit in the future? Read More »
We are wrapping this year with a lesser-known, but very well studied ziphiid, or beaked whale, the northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus). The northern bottlenose whale is the largest member of the beaked family found in the North Atlantic Ocean. They have a bottle-shaped beak and a hooked dorsal fin, hence the “bottlenose” in their
The Northern Bottlenose Whale Read More »
Whalecome to our new whale of the month, the sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis! This mysterious baleen whale is the third largest of the rorqual family. It is also an endangered species that was hunted to near extinction and is now slowly recovering. Here are a couple of cool facts about the sei whale. Sonic whale
Vaquita porpoises have puzzled scientists since their discovery in 1958. Regrettably, their populations have gotten much smaller over time due to illegal fishing practices. In this post, we highlight that while these “little cows” may be difficult to protect, we should try everything we can to save them. The Mysterious Nature of the Vaquita Vaquita
Vaquita, the most endangered cetacean in the world Read More »
With their petite size ranging from 2 to 2.8 meters (6 to 9 feet), Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) possess an endearing resemblance to baby beluga whales. What sets these shy and endangered dolphins apart is their super cute and expressively charming faces. In this post, we highlight some fascinating facts about these endangered marine creatures.
The Irrawaddy dolphin needs our help 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 »
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 »
This month we will be discussing a baleen whale. Baleen whales are typically large in size, use low-frequency vocalizations, and have baleen plates. They are made up of keratin that continuously grow and wear down, just like our hair and fingernails. More specifically, this month, we will discuss the North Atlantic Right Whale. Who is
The North Atlantic Right Whale: the most endangered of all large whales Read More »
Come read the update on the whale in Montreal here. UPDATE May 31st 2020 The whale is still in Montreal. It likely cannot go further because the current is too strong. The whale seems to be 2-3 years old and in good health, according to the Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur les mammifères marins
A whale is in Montreal today for the first time in history! Read More »
Noise in the ocean comes from different sources. Some are natural (seismic activity, tectonic movements), and some are human-made like sonars, underwater bombs, etc. Deep diving whales rely on echolocation to hunt for their prey. The noise from human activities can affect these whales in quite extreme ways. In this post, we will talk about
Noise from military activities hurt deep-diving whales Read More »
