Marine mammal news, features and articles

From sinking boats and feasting on shark livers to dining on whale tongue and tossing porpoises around for fun, orcas are displaying some fascinating — and sometimes terrifying — behaviors.

Researchers used DNA analysis and traditional knowledge to learn about an orca named Old Tom and his family's remarkable relationship with humans.

The severely decayed remains of a marine creature recently washed up on a beach in Papua New Guinea. Experts can't agree on what the ghostly white lump is, but it is most likely the remains of a marine mammal.

Three mass mortality events have struck a population of gray whales off the west coast of North America since the 1980s, and scientists have linked them to changing conditions in the Arctic.

Scientists may have finally figured out why a population of orcas in the Salish Sea have been tossing porpoises around and taking them into their mouths without eating them.

The female orca was found far from her normal hunting ground with six whole sea otters in its stomach and one lodged between its oral cavity and the esophagus.

Humpback whales may enjoy rolling around in seaweed as a form of play, but "kelping" could also help maintain their skin health by removing parasites and bacteria.

More orcas have died entangled in fishing gear in Alaska this year than in previous years, which may be linked to a "new behavior" where they feed in front of ascending fishing nets.

Past research suggests that some whale species are more likely to get lost and accidentally beach themselves during periods of increased solar activity, such as the upcoming solar maximum.

Lolita, also known as Tokitae, died before she could be returned to her native waters in the Pacific Northwest.