Marine Mammals

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

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

By Jesslyn Shields

If a massive whale washed up on your beachfront, you'd think that the bulk of the problem would be ... well, its bulk. But if you were covered in decomposing whale guts, you'd think differently.

By Kate Kershner

Whether you're sleeping on a water bed or napping during a rainstorm, water has a calming effect. Walruses also make use of soothing waves, but why don't they drown when catching submerged shut-eye?

By Jennifer Horton

If you don't make it past that first "E" during your annual vision test, you might give bats a reprieve by calling yourself "blind as a manatee."

By Cristen Conger

Vindictive whales like Moby Dick sometimes give these giants of the sea a bad rap. But whales do a lot for their ecosystem, especially after they go to Davy Jones' locker.

By Cristen Conger

What? You've never heard of a narwhal? Well, it's a cold-water-dwelling, deep-diving, vocalizing, halibut-munching wonder with its very own ivory crown. Did we mention its crazy tusk?

By Katie Lambert

Dog shows aren't the only places you'll hear barking and clapping. Seals and sea lions welcome beachgoers with their uproarious get-togethers. But how do you tell the difference between the two?

By Jessika Toothman

Dolphins and war? That seems like an unfortunate pairing. But the U.S. Navy has been training the gregarious sea creatures to spot sea mines since the 1960s. Are they good at it?

By Jane McGrath

Some people call orcas the wolves of the sea, yet others want to swim with them. Why are these animals known as killers -- or are they just getting a bad rap?

By Jacob Silverman

Bushy mustaches like the ones that Magnum P.I. or Super Mario sport are a bold fashion statement. But for baleen whales, they never go out of style.

By Molly Edmonds

Each year, thousands of male Pacific walruses pack the beaches of Round Island off the coast of Alaska. Is there a reason for this months-long male bonding?

By Jennifer Horton

If you're wandering on the beach and happen upon a large mass of some sort of waxy substance, take a closer look. It could be the rare "floating gold" of the sea: ambergris. Find out whether this whale poop can help you retire rich.

By Julia Layton & Alia Hoyt

Despite their monumental proportions, the most phenomenal thing about whales isn't how big they are: It's the way they live. Whales are mammals -- warm-blooded, air-breathing creatures -- but they spend their entire life in the ocean. Find out about these awe-inspiring creatures.

By Tom Harris

Do whales and dolphins sleep? I know they have to come to the surface of the water periodically to breathe, so wouldn't they die if they dozed off?