Researchers are using underwater microphones to interpret and characterize the calls of blue whales swimming through Southern California’s oceans, revealing new insights into the behavior of these endangered marine mammals, according to new research being presented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting here on Tuesday. Stretching nearly 30 meters (100 feet) long and weighing up …
The travels of whale sharks Tiffany and Doug are causing a stir. As a marine species typically found in tropical waters off Western Australia’s coast, the pair inexplicably have headed south and showed up off the coast of Perth. Tiffany is an 8m whale shark named after the female pilot who regularly flies scientists over …
BREATHTAKING scenes of a seal working with dolphins to feast on fish have been captured by an ingenious underwater camera. The mother fur seal filmed herself feasting on a giant “bait ball” of anchovies from a tiny lens fitted to her back by a wildlife television crew.These remarkable scenes of the seal powering through …
I’m continuing with my exploration of the wonders of Florida by taking a closer look at the Florida manatee. Also known as the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) or the sea cow, the manatee was one of the original 78 species included on the endangered species list when the Endangered Species Preservation Act was …
As recreational freedivers, we all have our bucket list of sea creatures, wrecks, and diving spots that we are dying to see, whether it be floating with majestic eagle rays, circling the USS Liberty in Indonesia, or exploring Ras Mohammed National Park in Egypt. But as conscientious divers who respect and love the ocean, there …
The Red Sea is one of the world’s least studied regions when it comes to whales and dolphins – until now. A report was released recently that brings together historic records and the latest information on a range of the sea’s mammal species. This will supply some of the information needed for science based conservation …
Wild dolphins need up to 33,000 calories a day, researchers have found – equivalent to about 60 portions of salmon. In contrast, Olympic swimmers – who are smaller and less active – burn about 12,000 calories a day during training. Studying the metabolic rates of whales and dolphins is important for their conservation, say scientists. …
Though the dolphin die-off has be attributed to a virus, the cause of the disease remains a mystery. Since late last year, four or five dolphin carcasses have beached in Brazil each day. Scientists have confirmed that a virus is to blame, but the mortalities still have conservationists baffled. The Associated Press reports more than …
For 28 years, Nan Hauser has been researching and diving with whales. The biologist is the president and director of the Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation, a group that has researched everything from the population status to feeding behaviors of these animals. But during a trip to look at whales in the Cook Islands …
What is a Mola Mola? The ocean sunfish, also known as a mola mola, is an odd-looking fish. The word “mola” means millstone in Latin and describes the unusual, disc-like shape of this fish. Their teeth are fused together giving the sunfish a beak-like mouth that is always open, similar to their relative the porcupine …
