All articles tagged with #marine mammals
A rare underwater photograph of a Ross seal, one of the least studied Antarctic marine mammals, was captured by Justin Hofman during an expedition, providing new insights into the species' behavior and anatomy in its natural habitat for the first time.
A highly contagious virus, cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV), has been detected in Arctic whale populations for the first time using drone-based breath sampling, raising concerns about disease spread in warming ocean environments and highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring of marine mammal health amid climate change.
Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić set a new world record by holding his breath for 29 minutes and 3 seconds in an oxygen-assisted attempt, nearly five minutes longer than the previous record, highlighting extraordinary human breath-holding capabilities and raising awareness for ocean conservation.
Animals have evolved remarkable sleep strategies to cope with extreme environments, such as penguins taking micro-naps during parenting, seabirds sleeping with one brain hemisphere while flying, and seals sleeping during deep dives, demonstrating the incredible flexibility and adaptation of sleep in the animal kingdom.
Scientists detected a potentially deadly whale virus in the Arctic for the first time using drone-based breath sampling, highlighting new disease risks for marine mammals amid rapid environmental changes in northern ecosystems.
Scientists used GoPro cameras attached to wild dolphins trained by the US Navy to observe their hunting behavior, revealing that dolphins use suction feeding and can consume dangerous prey like venomous sea snakes, challenging the perception of dolphins as solely cute and friendly creatures.
While blue whales and baleen whales cannot swallow humans due to their throat size and diet, toothed whales like sperm whales could theoretically swallow a human, but such incidents are extremely rare and usually accidental. Historical stories of humans being swallowed are likely false, and recent encounters tend to involve whales accidentally engulfing humans before releasing them. These incidents highlight the dangers of human encroachment on whale habitats.
Scientists documented a rare cooperative hunting behavior between Pacific white-sided dolphins and Northern Resident orcas off British Columbia, where dolphins act as scouts to help orcas locate salmon, benefiting both species and challenging previous assumptions about their interactions.
Male humpback dolphins off Western Australia's coast use sea sponges on their heads as a unique mating display, a behavior observed only in this region and not in other dolphin species, highlighting a potentially important and rare reproductive strategy. Additionally, other dolphins use sponges as tools for foraging, showcasing diverse dolphin behaviors involving sea sponges.
The Miami Seaquarium, a historic tourist attraction known for dolphin and orca shows, has closed after decades of controversy and animal welfare issues, with plans to redevelop the site into an aquarium without marine mammals, a research center, and public amenities.
The Miami Seaquarium, a historic tourist attraction known for dolphin and orca shows, has closed after decades of animal welfare complaints and violations, with plans to redevelop the site into an aquarium without marine mammals, a research center, and public amenities.
A new study suggests that stranded dolphins may suffer from a form of dementia similar to Alzheimer's disease, potentially caused by exposure to cyanobacterial toxins like BMAA, which can accumulate in marine food chains and may pose risks to human health as well.
A baby seal mistook a boat propeller for its mother and was rescued by Marine Mammals of Maine, who cared for it until it was healthy enough to be released back into the wild, highlighting the importance of respecting wildlife.
A new study using acoustic monitoring has provided unprecedented insights into the vocalizations of elusive beaked whales in Brazilian waters, helping to better understand their behavior and aiding conservation efforts.
Scientists have started testing a bird flu vaccine on marine mammals, beginning with six northern elephant seals in California, with hopes to soon vaccinate endangered Hawaiian monk seals to prevent the virus from wiping out the small population.