Latest Whales News

Japan proposes expanding commercial whaling to fin whales, a larger species than the 3 allowed now

May. 09, 2024 21:24 PM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Fisheries Agency has proposed expanding commercial whaling along the country’s coast to fin whales, a larger species than the three currently permitted. The proposal comes five years after Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone...

Cruise ship sails into New York City port with 44-foot dead whale across its bow

May. 08, 2024 14:04 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot (13-meter) dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said. The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship's bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National...

Scientists are learning the basic building blocks of sperm whale language after years of effort

May. 07, 2024 17:11 PM EDT

ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) — Scientists studying the sperm whales that live around the Caribbean island of Dominica have described for the first time the basic elements of how they might be talking to each other, in an effort that could one day help better protect them. Like many...

Orca calf swims out of Canadian lagoon where it had been trapped more than a month

Apr. 26, 2024 20:11 PM EDT

ZEBALLOS, British Columbia (AP) — A young killer whale that was trapped for more than a month in a lagoon on Vancouver Island swam past a bottleneck at high tide early Friday, reaching an inlet that could take it to the open sea, officials said. The Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First...

Over 100 pilot whales beached on western Australian coast have been rescued, officials say

Apr. 25, 2024 07:02 AM EDT

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — More than 100 long-finned pilot whales that beached on the western Australian coast Thursday have returned to sea, while 29 died on the shore, officials said. Ships and a spotter plane were monitoring the rescued whales in case they returned to shore,...

Right whale is found entangled off New England in a devastating year for the vanishing species

Apr. 13, 2024 17:15 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A North Atlantic right whale has been spotted entangled in rope off New England, worsening an already devastating year for the vanishing animals, federal authorities said. The right whales number less than 360 and are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing...

Dead whale in New Jersey had a fractured skull among numerous injuries, experts find

Apr. 12, 2024 14:53 PM EDT

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A post-mortem examination of a whale that washed ashore on New Jersey's Long Beach Island found that the animal had sustained numerous blunt force injuries including a fractured skull and vertebrae. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center on Friday...

Dead whale on New Jersey's Long Beach Island is first of the year, stranding group says

Apr. 11, 2024 17:58 PM EDT

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A dead humpback whale that washed ashore on New Jersey's Long Beach Island on Thursday was the first such death in the state this year, according to a marine mammal rescue group. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said it received a call at 6:45...

Rescuers search off Northern California coast for young gray whale entangled in gill net

Apr. 10, 2024 18:18 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rescuers were searching Wednesday for a gray whale last spotted off Northern California's coast with its tail entangled in a massive gill net. The 30-foot (9-meter) whale was spotted Tuesday near San Francisco swimming north as part of gray whales' annual...

Another endangered right whale dies after a collision with a ship off the East Coast

Apr. 04, 2024 17:48 PM EDT

An increasingly deadly year for the endangered North Atlantic right whale got worse this week when another member of the species was killed in a collision with a ship, federal authorities said Thursday. The giant species of whale numbers less than 360 and is vulnerable to ship...