Marine Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 30, 2018

This Huge, Ancient Whale Would Have Ripped You to Shreds

This ancient, gummy whale is breaking all the rules. The weird marine beast, called Llanocetus denticrenatus, lived about 34 million years ago. It was big. It was an early ancestor of modern humpbacks and blue whales. And (this is the maverick, rule-breaking bit for a whale of its type) it...

Feb 28, 2018

Why Aren't There Any Supersize Whales?

Whales are giant beasts, but why aren't even larger, supersize whales swimming around? The answer has to do with food, according to a new study that found that it would be basically impossible for an ocean-bound creature to eat enough food to support a body bigger than a whale. At...

Feb 18, 2022

Platypus facts

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one of the most unusual creatures in the animal kingdom. The platypus has a paddle-shaped tail, like a beaver; a sleek, furry body, like an otter; and a flat bill and webbed feet, like a duck. In fact, the first time a stuffed platypus was...

Jul 17, 2023

Dolphins and orcas have passed the evolutionary point of no return to live on land again

The chances of aquatic mammals — like orcas, bottlenose dolphins and whales — ever evolving to live on land again are almost nonexistent, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that the adaptations that allowed these animals to live in water have passed an evolutionary threshold that marks the point...

Oct 19, 2023

Identity of mysterious 'mermaid globster' that washed up in Papua New Guinea 'is anyone's guess,' experts say

A ghostly white lump of rotten flesh in the shape of a mermaid recently washed ashore on an island in Papua New Guinea — and experts baffled. The strange sea creature was likely a marine mammal, but its exact origins are unclear, experts told Live Science. The mysterious mass was...

Feb 11, 2024

How do marine mammals sleep underwater?

If marine mammals want to sleep, they can't just close their eyes and drift away for the night, as they need to intermediately surface for air. Nor can they float at the water's surface and slumber, because that exposes them to predators and heat loss. So how do marine mammals...

Feb 27, 2024

Millions of mystery holes at the bottom of the North Sea are not what scientists thought they were

In the murky waters of the North Sea, shallow divots dot the seafloor. The pits are round or oval, and range in width from a few meters to more than 196 feet (60 meters), but are only 4.3 inches (11 centimeters) deep. Some pits appear to have merged, creating oblong...

Mar 6, 2024

'Should not really exist in these waters': Scientists spot gray whale, thought to be extinct in the Atlantic, off Massachusetts coast

Scientists experienced an incredibly rare event last week when they saw a gray whale cruising through New England's coastal waters. The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) was believed to be extinct in this part of the Atlantic Ocean; the species has not been spotted there in more than 200 years, according...

Mar 27, 2019

Whale Experts 'Cautiously Optimistic' That Once Starving Grandma Orca Will Survive

A grandmother orca who was on death's door late last year is still alive, although her health remains in a precarious state, according to researchers who spotted her swimming off the western Canadian coast last week. This past December and January, researchers tracking the J pod — one of three...

Apr 1, 2019

Another Dead Whale Full of Plastic. This Time, in Italy.

Yet another whale carcass has washed up with a stomach full of plastic. This time, it was a pregnant female sperm whale with 49 lbs. (22 kilograms) of plastic in her stomach. She washed up on a beach in Porto Cervo, a popular tourist destination in Sardinia, Italy. Luca Bittau,...

Apr 4, 2019

Ancient Four-Legged Whale Swam Across Oceans, Walked Across Continents

Picture an animal that looks like a mix between a rhino and a sea otter: It has a narrow head; a long, muscular tail; and four stocky legs with hoofed toes and webbed feet. A new study suggests that's more or less what the walking, swimming ancestors of modern-day whales...

Apr 5, 2019

A Rare White Whale Has Been Filmed Off the Coast of Mexico

A whale-watching guide struck white gold last month when he encountered a rare, albino gray whale breaching off the west coast of Baja California, Mexico. Footage of the whale, which tour guide and scuba instructor Manuel Gonzalez posted to Facebook in March, has drawn comparisons to Moby Dick, the white...

Apr 18, 2019

Why Are So Many Gray Whales Washing Up Dead on California's Coast?

For a few months twice a year, the waters off California are home to graceful gray whales migrating north or south between the coast of Mexico and the Bering Sea. This year, however, it seems that fewer whales are surviving the journey north. Two dead gray whales washed up on...

Apr 30, 2019

Russians Likely Used This Beluga Whale As a Spy. Here's Why.

Fishermen in Norway came across a Russian spy late last week, but the interloper wouldn't reveal its mission, and with good reason: It couldn't, because it was a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). However, the beluga whale's outfit gave it away. The surprisingly tame whale was wearing a harness that read...

Jun 4, 2019

More Than 70 Gray Whales Dead in 6 Months, and Scientists Don't Understand Why

Since January, more than 70 dead gray whales have washed up on the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Canada. That's the most in a single year since 2000, and scientists are concerned. Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries designated these strandings as part of...