Marine Mammals

The adorable vaquita, the world's smallest porpoise and rarest marine mammal, has been pushed to virtual extinction by greed and fishing nets.

By Katie Carman

Humpback whales can be as long as a city bus and weigh as much as two. They love to breach and water slap with their fins and tails, making them a perennial favorite for whale watchers.

By Katie Carman

Sperm whales are one of the largest creatures in the ocean. And they have the biggest brain on the planet. So are they also the smartest? We'll tell you.

By Wendy Bowman

Their mamas may be the only ones who can tell them apart, but there are major differences between these cousins, one being the type of water in which they can survive.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Seals have long been known as dry-land clappers, but the first-ever percussive clapping observed by scientists has blown seal clapping theory out of the water. Or should we say under the water?

By Tara Yarlagadda

Sea otters are adorable, back from the brink of extinction and will totally bite you.

By Jesslyn Shields

Manatees are so gentle and sweet they'll break your heart, but in 2021, there have been more manatee deaths than in any year in previously recorded history. Why are these gentle giants dying in such unprecedented numbers?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

It is the largest animal ever to exist on the planet.

By Tara Yarlagadda

A dolphin doesn't breathe automatically, so during sleep, one side of its brain stays awake to ensure the mammal rises to the surface and breathes.

By Loraine Fick

Penguins stand for months on the coldest ice in the world without their feet freezing, thanks to special blood circulation.

By Loraine Fick

It looks excruciating, and nobody knows exactly why it happens.

By Jesslyn Shields

Do humpback whales get tired of singing the same old song, or do they simply start over when it gets too complicated?

By Jesslyn Shields

A new study paints a grave future for the killer whale, all because of the now-banned chemicals polychlopinated biphenyls — PCBs.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

A dolphin named Billie learned a dolphin-show trick from some captive dolphins, taught her wild friends how to do it and started a fad.

By Jesslyn Shields

A mother orca spent more than two weeks clinging to her dead calf. But why?

By Jesslyn Shields

Is it a whale ... a dolphin? Is it a whale-pin?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Breaking news: Dolphins and porpoises don't actually look very much alike.

By Jesslyn Shields

The platypus may look a bit absurd and bizarre, but its milk might hold the secret to fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

By Jesslyn Shields

Thanks to the excesses of narcoterrorist Pablo Escobar, Colombian waterways now house a population of these invasive African giants.

By Jesslyn Shields

It's the first evidence researchers have of the whales using their "unicorn horns" to capture prey.

By Kate Kershner

Each year, hundreds of healthy whales end up stranded on beaches, and scientists are investigating what could be behind the phenomenon.

By Laurie L. Dove

Only three mammal species on Earth lose the ability to reproduce during middle age. Killer whales, like us, are one of that select group. But why?

By Jesslyn Shields

It turns out that one of the world's most enchanting animals has even stronger superpowers than we previously knew. Surprise!

By Jesslyn Shields

Is it altruism? Revenge? Marine scientists aren't quite sure why humpbacks will sometimes save other animals from killer whales on the hunt.

By Christian Sager

Orcas have culture, just like humans do. And that culture can influence their evolution.

By Patrick J. Kiger