All posts tagged: whales

How blue whales became Earth’s largest creature—ever

How blue whales became Earth’s largest creature—ever

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Think of the largest elephant you can. Now multiply that by 30. That’s the size of a blue whale, the largest animal to exist, ever. The ocean-going mammals weigh up to 330,000 pounds and can stretch over 100 feet, the length of a Boeing 737. Even the biggest dinosaur only weighed something like 75 tons, less than half the weight of a blue whale.  But what caused blue whales to grow to such an extraordinary size? It all comes down to living in water and feeding on tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill. The constraints of gravity On land, the maximum size mammals can reach is limited by gravity. Large land mammals have huge bones, massive blood vessels, and strong legs to support their …

New cameras could help protect whales in San Francisco Bay : NPR

New cameras could help protect whales in San Francisco Bay : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Gray whales are showing up in San Francisco Bay, a detour on their long migrations from Mexico to Alaska. They seem to be searching for food, as changing ocean conditions reduce availability of their normal prey in the Arctic. Darrin Allen/The Marine Mammal Center, NOAA hide caption toggle caption Darrin Allen/The Marine Mammal Center, NOAA Gray whales used to be a rare sight in San Francisco Bay. Now, their spouts are appearing off Alcatraz Island in one of the busiest waterways in the country. The whales are making a pit stop on their long migrations from Mexico to Alaska, detouring under the Golden Gate Bridge for a snack as climate change is shrinking their normal food supply in Arctic waters. But as gray whales try to adapt to one human-caused impact by feeding in San Francisco Bay, it’s putting them squarely in the path of another hazard: ships. Of 16 gray whales seen in San Francisco Bay this year, seven have died. Researchers have found evidence that several were killed by ship strikes. With some …

Dive Into a Very Noisy Sea With Some Very Rare Whales

Dive Into a Very Noisy Sea With Some Very Rare Whales

Published by Sam Flores

The Gulf of Mexico, which the Trump administration calls the Gulf of America, is one of the noisiest bodies of water in the United States. Air gun blasts are the loudest element there, according to research by scientists who monitor underwater acoustics. Shipping traffic is another major contributor. The noise could affect the ability of Rice’s whales to find food and mates, scientists say. The chronic stress of living in a loud environment could be detrimental to their health. Source link

Timmy the Whale Found Dead In Denmark

Timmy the Whale Found Dead In Denmark

Published by Sam Flores

new video loaded: Timmy the Whale Found Dead In Denmark 1:19 A humpback whale, nicknamed Timmy, was found dead in Denmark. For more than a month, Timmy had been at the center of a public frenzy and rescue effort. By McKinnon de Kuyper May 18, 2026 Car Rams into Pedestrians in Northern Italy, Injuring at Least 8 0:57 Delivering Mail on Ukraine’s Front Line 4:36 Russia Launches Heavy Drone and Missile Attack on Ukraine’s Capital 0:56 Police in France Warn Public to Stay Away From Drunk Deer 0:38 Princess Catherine Makes First Official International Trip Since Cancer Diagnosis 1:02 Israel Qualifies for Eurovision Final Amid Protests 1:53 Video › Today’s Videos U.S. Politics Immigration NY Region Science Business Culture Books Wellness World Africa Americas Asia South Asia Donald Trump Middle East Crisis Russia-Ukraine Crisis Visual Investigations Opinion Video Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Source link

Video Shows Watercraft Colliding With Gray Whale

Video Shows Watercraft Colliding With Gray Whale

Published by Sam Flores

new video loaded: Video Shows Watercraft Colliding With Gray Whale transcript Back transcript Video Shows Watercraft Colliding With Gray Whale Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans is investigating after a person operating a personal watercraft struck a gray whale off Vancouver. Officials said the operator had been taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition. “Oh my God.” “Are you OK?” “I need help.” “You need help?” “Whale!” “Just let them drown.” “We’re coming — we’re coming.” “Keep your head up.” Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans is investigating after a person operating a personal watercraft struck a gray whale off Vancouver. Officials said the operator had been taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition. By Meg Felling May 6, 2026 Source link

‘Save Willy Act’ introduced in California to help save whales in Bay Area

‘Save Willy Act’ introduced in California to help save whales in Bay Area

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In a move that will certainly tug on the heartstrings of anyone that grew up in the 90s, Representative Sam Liccardo (D-Ca.)and other co-sponsors have introduced the Save Willy Act, aiming to protect the whales that enter the San Francisco Bay. The bill’s appropriate name is inspired by the 1993 drama Free Willy, in which an orphan boy befriends and ultimately saves a captive orca.  “With at least eight whale deaths already recorded this year in the San Francisco Bay Area, we welcome the attention this bill brings to protecting whales in coastal waters,” Kathi George, Director of Cetacean Conservation Biology at The Marine Mammal Center, said in a statement. If passed, the Save Willy Act would create a “Whale Desk” in the U.S. Coast Guard’s San Francisco station, where the public and mariners can report sightings and warn vessel operators of whales in the bay to avoid often fatal collisions. Additionally, the bill instructs the Coast Guard to …

Timmy the Stranded Whale Released Into the North Sea

Timmy the Stranded Whale Released Into the North Sea

Published by Sam Flores

new video loaded: Timmy the Stranded Whale Released Into the North Sea 0:59 After weeks of being stuck in shallow waters near Germany, Timmy, a humpback whale, was released into the North Sea on Saturday. By Jorge Mitssunaga May 2, 2026 40 Years After Explosion, Chernobyl Site Faces New Threats From Russia 2:15 Scientists Solve ‘Golden Orb’ Mystery 0:43 This Parrot Has No Beak, But Is at the Top of the Pecking Order 1:19 Rescuers Mount a Likely Final Push to Save a Stranded Whale 1:34 NASA Astronauts Discuss Surprise Moment on Artemis II Mission 0:27 NASA’s Artemis II Crew Returns to Houston After Lunar Mission 1:23 Video › Today’s Videos U.S. Politics Immigration NY Region Science Business Culture Books Wellness World Africa Americas Asia South Asia Donald Trump Middle East Crisis Russia-Ukraine Crisis Visual Investigations Opinion Video Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Source link

Rescuers transport stranded whale by barge to freedom in North Sea

Rescuers transport stranded whale by barge to freedom in North Sea

Published by Sam Flores

A humpback whale that had been struggling to survive after beaching near the German coast was released into the North Sea off Denmark on Saturday after being transported in a barge, a member of a rescue mission said. Dubbed “Timmy” by the German media, the whale was first spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 near the city of Luebeck before freeing itself and then becoming stuck again several times. Watch moreScientists, authorities divided over fate of stranded whale in Baltic Sea The whale left the barge it had been towed on from Wismar Bay on the Baltic coast at around 8:45am (0645 GMT), said Karin Walter-Mommert from the rescue initiative. It is now swimming on its own and freely, and at least for the time being, in the right direction, she said. At the start of April, German officials gave up on trying to rescue the animal, saying they believed it could not be saved. But this triggered an outcry and authorities were persuaded to approve a privately financed rescue plan proposed by …

Marine Animals in the Strait of Hormuz Don’t Get a Ceasefire

Marine Animals in the Strait of Hormuz Don’t Get a Ceasefire

Published by skeptic

As noise levels rise, whales reduce their diving activity—effectively entering a forced fasting period that weakens them over time. From Disruption to Damage In the narrow, 21-mile-wide funnel of the strait, military activity introduces shock waves and pressure changes that marine species are not built to withstand. Underwater explosions can be strong enough to kill fish outright and damage the auditory systems of larger marine mammals. Aaron Bartholomew, professor of biology, chemistry, and environmental sciences at the American University of Sharjah, suggests that “while whales and dolphins may temporarily move out of areas where there is significant naval sonar activity,” the intensity of modern maritime conflict poses lethal risks. Adam warns that the impact can be lasting: “These explosions can also damage the auditory system of cetaceans, which may temporarily or permanently lose their hearing.” Even when not immediately fatal, the effects can weaken animals over time and disrupt their ability to survive in already stressed conditions. Naval mines introduce similar risks even before detonation. When triggered, they generate high-pressure shock waves that can rupture …