Isolated Humpback Whales

Researchers studying humpback whales that inhabit the Arabian Sea and northern Indian Ocean have found them to be the most genetically distinct whales in the world, suggesting this long-distance migrating population has remained isolated from other whales for 70,000 years.

New Dolphin Species Discovered

Scientists have discovered a species of river dolphin previously unknown to science in the Araguaia River of Brazil, only the fifth such freshwater species known and the first discovered since 1918.

Orca Undergo Menopause

Researchers have found that female killer whales (Orcinus orca) undergo menopause as they age, along with humans and pilot whales one of only three species known to do so, living 50 to 60 years past their reproductive age presumably as an evolutionary advantage to increase the survival rates of young males and their offspring.

Dolphins Identify by "Names"

New research shows that bottlenose dolphins have a unique signature whistle that they respond to by repeating that whistle back to the originator, ignoring other similar vocalizations and supporting evidence of a concept of identity with a distinct "name" for each individual animal.

World's Rarest Whale Seen

Two spade-toothed beaked whales (Mesoplodon traversii), a mother and calf, stranded themselves and died on a beach in New Zealand, the first time this species known only through partial skulls has been seen and examined as a complete specimen.

New Sensory Organ in Whales

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown grapefruit-sized sensory organ in the chin of rorqual whales that is believed to help coordinate the biomechanics of their extreme lunge-feeding technique.

Rare Whale Caught on Film

Researchers tracking blue whales off the coast of Australia caught rare Shepherd's beaked whales on film, the first time live animals of this deep-water, reclusive species known only through stranded dead specimens have been documented.

New Dolphin Species

Confirmed by DNA analysis, a new species of dolphin (the Burrunan dolphin) has been discovered living in the coastal waters off the urban areas of Melbourne, Australia.

Dolphins Sense Electrical Fields

Researchers have discovered that dolphins can sense and react to the mild electric fields generated by fish, the first time electro-sensory reception has been documented in true mammals.

Dolphins Killing Porpoises

Three acts of unprovoked dolphin aggression have been documented with animals off the coast of California in which groups of bottlenose dolphins rammed and drowned lone porpoises and then played with the carcass, supposedly due to frustrations of breeding males without access to females.

New Hybrid Whale Discovered

Using DNA analysis from Norwegian whale hunts, biologists have discovered an unlikely hybrid whale that is a cross between the Antarctic minke whale and a northern minke whale, two species occupying opposite migratory patterns and hemispheres that were never thought to meet.

"Balloon Head" Dolphin

A fossil skull dredged up from the floor of the North Sea by a Dutch fisherman reveals a new species of "balloon head" dolphin (Platalearostrum hoekmani) that lived two to three million years ago, with the function of the bulbous forehead a matter of speculation.

Humpback Whale Friendships

New research has shown that humpback whales form lasting relationships, contradicting the belief that baleen (filter-feeding) whales are less social than toothed cetaceans such as sperm whales.

New Killer Whale Species

New genetic analysis of killer whales (orca) worldwide has lead scientists to propose classifying these animals in the wild into four or more distinct subspecies, each with distinct social and hunting behavior, vocalizations and physical appearance.

Dolphins Control Their Diabetes

Researchers have found that bottlenose dolphins have developed a type of insulin resistance, equivalent to type 2 diabetes in humans, yet have a physiological mechanism to activate this trait only when conditions require it -- essentially turning their "diabetes" on and off at will.