Marine mammal news, features and articles
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Fears that dead 60-foot-long whale in Ireland could explode sends experts scrambling
By Harry Baker published
Experts abandoned the autopsy of a dead fin whale after they heard bubbling noises from the creature's gut, indicating there was a chance it could explode if opened.

$500,000 chunk of 'floating gold' found in dead whale
By Ethan Freedman published
The huge chunk of ambergris was found lodged inside the sperm whale — and scientists believe it ruptured its intestine, causing its death and subsequent beaching in La Palma.

'An enormous mass of flesh armed with teeth': How orcas gained their 'killer' reputation
By Hanne Strager published
From Pliny the Elder to the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, historians and naturalists have found many ways to describe these fascinating apex predators.

White Gladis the orca may have been pregnant when she started attacking boats
By Sascha Pare published
White Gladis was so hellbent on stopping boats in the Strait of Gibraltar that she engaged in attacks instead of protecting her newborn calf.

Orca rams boat off Scottish coast, 2,000 miles away from original attacks
By Sascha Pare published
The behavior may be "leapfrogging" between orca populations, and it could be in response to human activities such as fishing.

Mystery orcas with bulbous heads wash up dead in unexplained mass stranding
By Ethan Freedman published
The nine Type D orcas were found on a beach in Chile, with a necropsy of one female showing it was a healthy adult, with no signs of human involvement in its death.

Orcas attack boat with ruthless efficiency, tearing off rudders in just 15 minutes
By Sascha Pare published
As the crew motored inshore after the encounter, one of the orcas reappeared, chased the boat into the marina and tore off what little fiberglass was left on the two rudders.

Ultra-rare, deep-diving whale dies on New England beach with possible case of bird flu
By Sascha Pare published
A necropsy revealed that the animal may have been infected with avian influenza, which would be "a big deal" if it is confirmed by further testing, scientists say.
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