Whales

Migrating humpback whales have poor health on return journey

Every summer, East Australian humpback whales migrate from the feeding grounds in Antarctica to their breeding grounds in the Great Barrier Reef.

Surface feeding important for blue whales

When blue whales feed on krill, a lot of energy gets used up in the process of diving, holding their breath and opening their mouth as they plunge into the swarm of krill.

2016 New Zealand quake disrupted sperm whales' foraging behaviour

In November 2016, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in New Zealand triggered underwater mudslides in the underwater canyon off the coastline. This led to high-velocity currents to flush 850 tonnes of sediment from the canyon into the ocean.

UK sees record sightings of whales, dolphins and seals

The Wildlife Trusts, which comprises 46 individual wildlife trusts around the country, reports record numbers of more than 800 sightings of whales, dolphins and seals in the waters of the United Kingdom in 2019.

Humpback whales less sociable in presence of boats

After studying humpback whales off Queensland's Peregian Beach, researchers discovered that the whales’ ability to communicate and socialise is adversely affected by the noise and presence of boats.

Blue Whales rely on memory to find food

The blue whale is the largest known creature to ever inhabit the Earth but up until very recently, almost nothing was known about its mating and migration routes.

We think that blue whales have evolved to use historical migration routes and timing that put them in proximity to the most predictably high production feeding areas and then make minor adjustments based on local conditions,”

Satellite tracking yield info about resident fin whales in Gulf of California

Thanks to satellite tracking, researchers were able to find out more about a population of fin whales that have been living in the Gulf of California all year round, an unusual behavioural trait since this species is known to migrate great distanc