Whale news, features and articles
Explore Whales
Latest about Whales
Critically endangered right whales are shrinking, with drastic consequences for their population
By Melissa Hobson published
Climate change appears to be causing North Atlantic right whales to get smaller, and it's making them have fewer babies.
Eerie photograph captures whales hunted off Greenland lying in their watery grave
By Hannah Osborne published
Haunting image showing two whales with their bones picked clean off the coast of Greenland has won the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 competition.
Hidden DNA found in blue whales reveals they've been mating with other species — and their hybrid offspring
By Harry Baker published
Newly sequenced genomes of blue whales in the Atlantic Ocean contain "unexpectedly high" levels of fin whale DNA, hinting that the two species have been interbreeding much more than previously realized.
Whale with broken back spotted near Mexico after suspected ship collision will likely die
By Hannah Osborne published
A humpback whale off Baja California Sur with a deformed spine was likely hit by a ship and the injury will probably be fatal, an expert told Live Science.
Scientists finally figure out why hundreds of gray whales keep washing up dead along US coasts
By Sascha Pare published
Three mass mortality events have struck a population of gray whales off the west coast of North America since the 1980s, and scientists have linked them to changing conditions in the Arctic.
Kelping is a 'global phenomenon' sweeping the world of humpback whales, scientists say
By Sascha Pare published
Humpback whales may enjoy rolling around in seaweed as a form of play, but "kelping" could also help maintain their skin health by removing parasites and bacteria.
Could an impending rise in solar storms cause more whales to strand?
By Harry Baker published
Past research suggests that some whale species are more likely to get lost and accidentally beach themselves during periods of increased solar activity, such as the upcoming solar maximum.
Tiny 'King Tut' whale 'lived fast and died fast' in ancient Egyptian waters
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Paleontologists in Egypt have described a new species of extinct whale that was dwarfed by other basilosaurids.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.