Whales News

Communal photo sharing site, Flickr, has allowed researchers to discover the longest migration by a whale yet recorded. Ten years ago a female humpback whale swam from Brazil to Madagascar,…

As I discovered in the course of researching my book, No Rain in the Amazon: How South America’s Climate Change Affects the Entire Planet (Palgrave, 2010), the oil industry has…

Most of the US's large ecosystems are but shadows of their former selves. The old-growth deciduous forests that once covered nearly all of the east and mid-west continental US are…

An interview with David Ainley. Imagine an ocean untouched by oil spills: a sea free of pollution, invasive species, dead zones, and over-exploitation; waters where marine animals exist in natural…

Update: The International Whaling Commission (IWC), which was supposed to decide a way forward for whales over the next decade has ended without an agreement. Talks broke down, according to…

There are two ways forward on whaling according to visions being put forward at the International Whaling Commission this week. One way is to uphold the 24-year-long ban on hunting…

Everyone loves penguins. With their characteristic black-and-white 'tuxedo' markings, upright waddle, and childlike stature, penguins seem at once exotic and familiar: exotic because they live far from most human habitations,…

Will we ever know the full wildlife toll of the BP oil spill? The short answer: no. The gruesome photos that are making the media rounds over the last week…

The importance of a whale to the oceanic ecosystem does not end with its life. After dying, a whale's body sinks to the bottom of the ocean and becomes food…

Japan Probe reports that the annual dolphin slaughter by fishermen in the Japanese town of Taiji has begun. The hunt was delayed by the presence of Japanese and foreign press…

The blue whale may be returning to a migration route that it abandoned during commercial whaling. Researchers have discovered whales migrating from California to the coastlines of British Columbia and…

A new study in Biology Letters confirms what marine biologists have long suspected: loud sonar can cause temporary deafness in dolphins, possibly explaining some mass strandings. The study, using a…

Current Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are too small to adequately serve whales and dolphins according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS). The international organization is calling for a…

New analysis looks at the question: Do whales and humans compete for fish? Fishermen calling for a resumption of whaling to restore commercial fish stocks are taking the wrong approach,…

A new reason to ban whaling: your health A new reason to ban whaling: your health mongabay.com November 28, 2008

Supreme Court lifts ban on sonar testing, whales lose Supreme Court lifts ban on sonar testing, whales lose mongabay.com November 12, 2008 Bad news for whales as the Supreme Court…

Argentina bans fishing, trawling in eco-rich area Argentina bans fishing, trawling in eco-rich area mongabay.com October 9, 2008

Rainforest biodiversity at risk from global warming Rainforest biodiversity at risk from global warming mongabay.com October 9, 2008

IWC issues media blackout on discussions to lift whaling ban IWC issues media blackout on discussions to lift whaling ban Jeremey Hance, mongabay.com September 11, 2008 The fate of the…

Whale meat is back on the menu in Iceland Whale meat is back on the menu in Iceland mongabay.com September 2, 2008 Whale meat is back at restaurants and food…

The extinction of the baiji a 'wake-up call' to conserve vaquita and other cetaceans An interview with Dr. Jay Barlow: Extinction of the baiji a 'wake-up call' to conserve vaquita…

This year has been full of bad news regarding marine ecosystems: one-third of coral species threatened with extinction, dead-zones spread to 415 sites, half of U.S. reefs in fair or…

The end of migrations: wildlife's greatest spectacle is critically endangered The end of migrations: wildlife's greatest spectacle is critically endangered Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com July 28, 2008 Why abundance matters: the…

Whale biomimicry inspires better wind turbines Whale biomimicry inspires better wind turbines mongabay.com July 7, 2008 By studying and mimicking the characteristics of the flippers, fins and tails of whales…

Humpback whale population is recovering Humpback whale population is recovering mongabay.com May 21, 2008 The number of humpback whales in the North Pacific Ocean has increased substantially since international and…

The Arctic's most threatened marine mammals due to climate change The Arctic's most threatened marine mammals due to climate change Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com April 25, 2008 A recent study has…