Marine mammal news, features and articles
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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.
Dolphins are 'literally acting like jerks' by beating up baby manatees
By Melissa Hobson published
Bottlenose dolphins have been observed trying to kill Antillean manatee calves, and researchers don't fully understand what's going on.
Bird flu wipes out over 95% of southern elephant seal pups in 'catastrophic' mass death
By Jacklin Kwan published
Over 17,000 southern elephant seal pups were found dead on Argentina's Valdés Peninsula in a horrific mass die off attributed to the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus.
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.
Extremely rare dolphin with thumbs photographed in Greek gulf
By Sascha Pare published
A dolphin with deformed flippers that look like thumbs was spotted in the Gulf of Corinth in July 2023. It likely acquired what appears to be a genetic defect during development in the womb, experts say.
Dying orca's final moments after 'desperate' effort to stay afloat captured in 1st of its kind footage
By Sascha Pare published
An orca's final moments may have been captured on film for the first time, after repeated attempts by two young orcas to keep the old, dying male at the surface so he could breathe.
Watch dolphins raid crab pots off Australia in never-before-seen footage
By Lydia Smith published
Dolphins in Koombana Bay, Western Australia, have learned how to raid crab pots being used for bait and remove the hooks, footage has revealed.
Orcas sink another boat in Europe after a nearly hour-long attack
By Harry Baker published
For the fourth time in two years, a group of unusually brazen orcas in southwestern Europe have sunk a sailing boat after relentlessly attacking it for almost an hour on Halloween.
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