Endangered pregnant whale found dead on bow of cruise ship in Alaska

A pregnant fin whale was found dead on the bow of a cruise ship that docked Friday in southern Alaska, federal stewards said. Fin whales are an endangered species that is particularly threatened by vessel strikes. The whale was discovered on top of the “bulbous bow” of a cruise ship arriving in Seward, a coastal … Read more

Humpback whale caught in fishing rope freed off Massachusetts:

A young humpback whale was freed from entanglement in fishing gear off the coast of Massachusetts on Sunday. The Provincetown-based Center for Coastal Studies said boaters spotted the “relatively small whale” struggling in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which encompasses 842 square miles between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. The Marine Animal Entanglement Response … Read more

A diamond, a whale bone and letters: What’s inside the America 250 time capsule

CONCORD, N.H. — Paper, the traditional gift for marking a couple’s first year of marriage, also is a great choice for 250th anniversaries — especially when filling a time capsule celebrating American independence. The 2016 law creating the nonpartisan America250 commission mandated that a time capsule be buried in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, and … Read more

World’s largest whale graveyard discovered by sub at bottom of ocean: “Completely unexpected”

The world’s largest whale graveyard has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean by Chinese scientists, who found that the vast expanse of both new and ancient carcasses supports huge communities of deep-sea life. It is the deepest and oldest known whale graveyard on Earth, according to research published in the journal Nature … Read more

A new whale detection network launches in San Francisco Bay, alerting ships in real time

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Ferries, cargo ships and tankers cut through choppy waters in the San Francisco Bay Tuesday as a whale surfaced nearby, its spout barely visible against the white caps. Until now, whales could easily go unnoticed by mariners, but an AI-powered detection network launched this week is designed to track them day … Read more

An outcry erupts as a whale mural beloved by many in Dallas is replaced with art for the World Cup

DALLAS — As Dallas pulls out the stops for the World Cup this summer, one makeover is causing an uproar: the sudden disappearance of a beloved, giant mural downtown of swimming whales. “I see that mural almost every day on my way to school and then one day they were painting it over,” Katy Rose … Read more

40-ton whale dies amid wave of strandings off coast of Washington state

A 40-ton whale died after becoming stranded on Washington’s Samish Island, becoming the latest in a string of whale deaths along the state’s coastline.  The whale became stranded on the island’s gravel beach on Monday night, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s regional branch said on social media. Researchers from local organizations responded on Tuesday … Read more

Gray whale that swam 20 miles up Washington state river found dead

A juvenile gray whale that amazed Washington state residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river was found dead, and an official with a marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale to new hunting grounds as the species’ population declines. The whale was discovered Saturday near Raymond, Washington, in … Read more

Orcas never seen before in Seattle delight whale watchers with a visit

Seattle — When tourists travel to Seattle, it’s common to take in the Space Needle and the downtown skyline from Puget Sound. It’s an itinerary that a newly arrived pod of killer whales appears to be following too. Three orcas that had not previously been recorded in the Seattle area have delighted whale watchers with … Read more