Blue Whale strandings are extremely uncommon, and, because of the species' social structure, mass strandings are unheard of. However when strandings do occur they can become the focus of public interest. In 1920, a Blue Whale washed up near Bragar on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebride...
A favorite of whale watchers, humpbacks also slap the water with their flukes and pectoral fins, rise nose-first out of the water (called "spyhopping"), and do penduncle throws, a behavior unique to this species in which they raise their entire rear torso and tail out of the water, tw...
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered LC NT VU EN CR EW EX Least ConcernExtinct Current Population Trend: Increasing What is the blue whale? Blue whales arethe largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth. These magnificent marine mammals rule the oceans atup to 100 feet long and upwards ...
I was able to pick out this group from the chaotic mob of other whales by taking note of the fact that there were three young whales. Juvenile mammals of any species tend to be more inquisitive than adults, a fact that helped me ingratiate myself with this family over time. Continuing w...
The whales were accompanied by dolphins, fish, Cape fur seals and various species of birds—all with the intention of finding enough food to eat. Even right whales and sometimes fin whales joined the groups. Over the next seven days, we were able to observe and film the spectacle, with ...
Species you'll see: Beluga whales, sometimes known as “sea canaries” because of their underwater songs. Who to book with: Reputable local operators include Frontiers North, Churchill Wild and Lazy Bear Expeditions. When to come: The calving season in the Churchill River runs from mid-June ...
Still some blue warmer water around with some holdover warm water species like dorado. Overall choppy ocean. WEATHER: Definitely got colder this past week. Also some very windy days that we had to pull boats off the water or advise folks not to fish or go snorkeling. Still sunny, but it...
Part of the excitement of Wild Side cruises – each day offers unexpected surprises, along with the common. It is almost impossible to 100% guarantee sightings of any of the 15+ species of cetaceans regularly documented in Hawaiian waters, either residing in or temporarily using Oahu as a “...
eye, this is a calf with an older individual, probably the mother behind it. Type C's are a population that live in the Ross Sea in Antarctica, they are thought to feed almost exclusively on Antarctic cod. In the immediate foreground is a non-native Antartic species getting a whale ...
This is one of themost endangered species of whales. Some reports have the species with numbers below 350 remaining. It has led to a standoff with some environmental groups and the fishing industry. Sei Whale Getty Images/iStockphoto