marine mammals

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Blue Whales Sing Near NYC Coast

Mating call heard just 70 miles from Long Island

(Newser) - Experts have detected singing blue whales closer to the New York City coast than the endangered behemoths have ever been heard before, the Ithaca Journal reports. One of the whales was picked up by Cornell University bioacoustics experts recording just 70 miles from the city’s coastline. Scientists plan to...

Fossil of 'Missing Link' Walking Seal Found

Arctic creature's existence was predicted by Charles Darwin

(Newser) - The fossil of a semi-aquatic creature unearthed in northern Canada may hold the key to how seals and walruses evolved, the BBC reports. The carnivore—which resembles a cross between an otter and a seal—had feet that were webbed but weren't flippers. Scientists believe the animals walked on land...

Brits to Stop Saving Stranded Whales

Marine experts say refloating causes suffering and rarely works

(Newser) - Whales who get stuck on British shores will now get a lethal injection instead of a lift back to the ocean, the Independent reports. The policy is backed by marine experts and animal welfare groups as the more humane option, based on new research showing that refloated whales usually die...

Dolphins: Chefs of the Sea
 Dolphins: Chefs of the Sea 
Jan 31, 2009 11:56 AM CST

Dolphins: Chefs of the Sea

(Newser) - A bottlenose dolphin that researchers have been tracking since 2003 follows a complex regimen when preparing a meal of cuttlefish, National Geographic reports. The female dolphin, caught on tape off the coast of Australia, first kills the squid-like creature, shakes it to remove indigestible ink, and then scrapes its catch...

Dolphins' Hunting Tools Mostly Used by Females

Dolphin moms pass skills on to daughters; males do their own thing

(Newser) - Beside humans, few other animals use tools to get their everyday chores done. Even fewer of them are marine mammals, so researchers in Australia were surprised to catch bottlenose dolphins employing conical sponges to dig in the seafloor. Mostly female dolphins use the snout-protectors, and only if their mothers showed...

One-Quarter of Mammal Species Imperiled: Survey

Deforestation, climate change among culprits threatening 1,141 types of beasts

(Newser) - Nearly 25% of the world’s mammal species face extinction, the Guardian reports, and 3% are critically endangered. The stark conclusion, based on research conducted over 5 years in 130 countries, paints an especially bleak picture for marine mammals, the highly regarded Red List says. "We are threatening the...

Noisy Humans 'Drowning Out' Marine Mammals

Report urges humans to turn down industrial volume in world's oceans

(Newser) - Whales and dolphins are seriously suffering from the noise that human industry and militaries release into the ocean, an animal-welfare group warns—and we need to turn the volume down before we do irreversible damage. Sonar is implicated for mass stranding and deaths of whales and dolphins, the BBC reports,...

End of Tale for Baby Whale
 End of Tale for Baby Whale
Aug 22, 2008 5:55 AM CDT

End of Tale for Baby Whale

Stranded humpback calf put down after nuzzling Sidney ships

(Newser) - A lost baby humpback whale who broke the world's heart when it nuzzled ships near Sydney was put down today with an overdose of anesthetic, reports the Australian. Experts say the calf, dubbed Colin, had no chance of surviving. The whale had been attacked by sharks and needed several months...

Dolphin Dies Near Sonar Site
Dolphin Dies Near Sonar Site
Feb 22, 2008 9:00 AM CST

Dolphin Dies Near Sonar Site

It washes up as Navy is challenging restrictions on tests

(Newser) - Researchers are trying to determine what killed a female dolphin that washed up on an island off the coast of San Diego—an area where the Navy conducted controversial sonar tests, the Los Angeles Times reports. The dolphin washed up as the Navy challenges court-imposed restrictions on the use of...

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