There has not been much good news for life on Earth this year, with up to 1m species at risk of annihilation, many within decades. But scientists, conservationists and armies of volunteers are working relentlessly to understand and preserve endangered species. Here are 10 biodiversity stories that provided a glimmer of hope. But conservationists have […]
Tag: Humpback Whale
Petition: Australia’s Shark Nets are Killing Hundreds of Marine Animals!
Marine life in Australia is already suffering due to the degradation and bleaching of the Great Coral Reef. Not to mention, the warming waters that threaten many marine species, including the critical green sea turtles. However, something not often spoken about that is endangering marine animals even more is shark nets — devices used to […]
Whale ‘swallows’ sea lion: ‘It was a once-in-a-lifetime event’
Chase Dekker believes the photo he took of a humpback whale “swallowing” a sea lion is the first time that happening has ever been caught on camera. The 27-year-old wildlife photographer and marine biologist had taken a boat of whale watchers out on the water in Monterey Bay, California, on 22 July when the incident […]
How Did a Dead Humpback Whale End Up in the Amazon Rainforest?
When they followed vultures into the rainforest on Marajó Island in Brazil, near the mouth of the Amazon River officials with the state health, sanitation and environment department made a surprising discovery. The birds were feeding on the carcass of a 10-ton, 26-foot-long humpback whale calf. The calf, about a year old, was in an […]
Rare Footage Captures a Baby Humpback Whale Moments After Birth
A researcher studying humpback whales off the coast of Maui was treated to a rare surprise after spotting a newborn humpback whale who was barely moments old. It’s the closest Lars Bejder has been to a live birth of a humpback whale in 25 years, and lucky for us he captured it on footage. Bejder, […]
Whale stress levels influenced by human activity, earwax study suggests
Scientists have mapped whale stress levels in relation to human activity going back nearly a century and a half — using earwax collected from baleen whales. From 1870 to 2016, the whales’ stress levels seem to be closely associated with activities such as industrial whaling, naval operations during World War II, and rising sea-surface temperatures, […]
Fisherman Risks His Life to Save a Humpback Whale
As they headed back toward the central California coast after fishing for slime eel in the Pacific Ocean, Sam Synstelien and Nicholas Taron made a troubling discovery: a humpback whale was entangled in a buoy’s rope, frantically trying to free itself. Synstelien immediately called the U.S. Coast Guard but was told it might take a […]
Ocean Noise is So Loud, Humpback Whales Stop Singing
Humpback whales have become well-known for their beautiful songs, but researchers have found that noise coming from ships is enough to make them shorten their songs, or stop singing altogether. While ocean noise has become a growing concern that’s expected to increasingly impact marine life, scientists from Ogasawara Whale Watching Association and Hokkaido University in […]
