In Moby-Dick, Herman Melville’s epic novel of 1851, the author asks if whales would survive the remorseless human hunt. Yes, he says, as he foresees a future flooded world in which the whale would outlive us and “spout his frothed defiance to the skies”. Moby Dick was a grizzled old sperm whale that had miraculously […]
Tag: sperm whale
Protecting 2.6% of oceans could prevent deadly whale-ship collisions: Study
Ship strikes are a leading threat to large whales, with global shipping routes overlapping 92% of their habitats, a new study finds. But protecting whales in the most dangerous collision hotspots would require action over just 2.6% of the ocean’s surface, researchers conclude, potentially saving thousands of whales with minimal disruption to global trade. The […]
Sperm Whales Vanish from Gulf of California as Ecosystem Shifts
A new study highlights the concerning departure of sperm whales from Mexico’s Gulf of California, suggesting broader signs of ecosystem instability. The study, published in PeerJ Life and Environment, details how these apex predators have vanished from the region in response to dramatic drops in the jumbo squid population, their primary food source. Sperm whales […]
Petition: Urge Shipping Company to Reroute Ships to Avoid Whale-Ship Collisions
The Hellenic Trench in the Mediterranean is a key ecosystem for endangered sperm whales. Fewer than 200 of the majestic creatures are left alive in the area – and more die off all the time, often as a result of being hit by large ships. That’s why it’s so important for big shipping companies to […]
Unusually Large Number of Whales Spotted, Including Multiple Endangered Species, off Northeast U.S. Coasts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported 161 sightings of whales last month, representing seven different whale species. The sightings, recorded on May 25, took place off the northeastern U.S. Coasts, near Martha’s Vineyard and southeast of Nantucket. According to NOAA, the sightings included an unusually high number of whale species, particularly endangered […]
Sperm whale dies after being stranded on Florida beach
A sperm whale who became stranded on a Florida beach over the weekend has died, state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission said in a statement on Monday. The case was an urgent one for animal preservationists because sperm whales are classified as an endangered species. Police and wildlife officials had tried to free the male […]
Sperm whales live in culturally distinct clans, research finds
Sperm whales live in clans with distinctive cultures, much like those of humans, a study has found. Using underwater microphones and drone surveys, Hal Whitehead, a sperm whale scientist at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Canada, examined the sounds the animals made and their feeding habits and found they organised themselves into groups of up to […]
The weird creatures coming to beaches as Wales becomes ‘more like the Med’
Sightings of unusual and exotic marine species will become more common on Welsh coasts as sea temperatures rise, a marine biologist has said. Over the coming years, warm-water sharks, turtles and jellyfish will visit in greater numbers and for longer periods if current trends continue. Some creatures may pose a greater risk to beachgoers, prompting […]