Whale

Cosma / Communication / Knowledge / Realm / Terrestrial / Life /Animal / Mammal / Whale
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whale : any of various very large, aquatic, marine mammals (order Cetacea) that have a torpedo-shaped body with a thick layer of blubber, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, a horizontally flattened tail, and nostrils that open externally at the top of the head — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

Thesaurus

Roget’s II (Thesaurus.com), Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, Visuwords

Encyclopedia

Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. They are an informal grouping within the infraorder Cetacea, usually excluding dolphins and porpoises. Whales are creatures of the open ocean; they feed, mate, give birth, suckle and raise their young at sea. So extreme is their adaptation to life underwater that they are unable to survive on land. Whales range in size from the 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) and 135 kilograms (298 lb) dwarf sperm whale to the 29.9 metres (98 ft) and 190 metric tons (210 short tons) blue whale, which is the largest creature that has ever lived. — Wikipedia

Whale (Encyclopædia Britannica)

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Inspiration

Swimming With Giants (American Museum of Natural History, YouTube 360° Video)
The Blu: Whale Encounter (Transport by Wevr, YouTube 360° Video)

Talks about Whales (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)

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Innovation

Science

Cetology is the branch of marine mammal science that studies the approximately eighty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises in the scientific order Cetacea. — Wikipedia

Whale Science (Whale Scientists)

The Center for Whale Research

Mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous systems. Mammalogy has also been known as “mastology,” “theriology,” and “therology.” The major branches of mammalogy include natural history, taxonomy and systematics, anatomy and physiology, ethology, ecology, and management. — Wikipedia

Mammalogy (Encyclopædia Britannica)

The Science of Mammalogy (The American Society of Mammalogists)

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Preservation

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Participation

Education

A Whale of a Tale (OLogy, American Museum of Natural History)

Cetacean Curriculum (American Cetacean Society)

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Community

Occupation

Cetologists , or those who practice cetology, seek to understand and explain cetacean evolution, distribution, morphology, behavior, community dynamics, and other topics. — Wikipedia

How to Become a Whale Scientists (Whale Scientists)

How to Become a Marine Mammal Scientist (The Society for Marine Mammology)

Careers in Mammalogy (American Society of Mammalogists)

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)

Organization

American Cetacean Society

Society for Marine Mammalogy

American Society of Mammalogists
The Mammal Society

News

Marine Mammal Science (Society for Marine Mammalogy)

Mammal Review (The Mammal Society)
Journal of Mammalogy (American Society of Mammalogists)
Mammalian Species (American Society of Mammalogists)

Whales (EurekaAlert, American Association for the Advancement of Science)
Whales (bioRxiv: Preprint Server for Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Whales (JSTOR)
Whales (Science Daily)
Whales (Science News)
Whales (Phys.org)
Whales (NPR Archives)

Government

Whales (Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries)
Whale / Cetacean FAQs (Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries)

More News …

Dolphins and Whales News -- ScienceDaily Whales and dolphins. Whale songs, beaching, endangered status -- current research news on all cetaceans.

On the brink of extinction, the vaquita gets a...
on June 17, 2026 at 12:01 pm
Scientists have digitally preserved the world’s most endangered marine mammal by creating highly detailed 3D models of a vaquita skeleton using advanced imaging technology. The virtual archive provides an unprecedented look at the species and could help inspire conservation efforts before the tiny porpoise disappears forever.
Beluga whales keep switching mates and it may be...
on June 4, 2026 at 7:51 am
Hidden beneath Arctic waters, beluga whales have long kept their family lives a mystery. By analyzing DNA from more than 600 belugas in Alaska’s Bristol Bay over 13 years, researchers uncovered a surprisingly flexible mating system: both males and females regularly have offspring with different partners over their lifetimes.
Humpback whale breaks migration record with...
on May 20, 2026 at 3:15 am
Scientists have uncovered an astonishing new chapter in humpback whale migration: two whales were found to have traveled between breeding grounds in Australia and Brazil, crossing more than 14,000 kilometers of open ocean. One whale shattered records by covering at least 15,100 kilometers between sightings, marking the longest confirmed journey ever documented for an individual humpback whale.
Stunning 132 million-year-old dinosaur tracks are...
on April 23, 2026 at 7:15 am
A long-standing mystery in southern Africa’s fossil record is beginning to unravel. After massive lava flows 182 million years ago seemed to erase evidence of dinosaurs in the region, scientists have now uncovered surprising new clues along the Western Cape coast. Dozens of dinosaur tracks, about 132 million years old, have been discovered in a tiny stretch of rock near Knysna—making them the youngest ever found in southern Africa.
Gray whales are entering San Francisco Bay and...
on April 13, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Gray whales are beginning to break their long-established migration patterns, venturing into risky new territory like San Francisco Bay as climate change disrupts their Arctic food supply. But this unexpected detour is proving deadly: nearly one in five whales that enter the Bay don’t survive, with many struck by ships in the crowded, foggy waters.

Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.

Arabian Sea humpback whale's long-distance trip...
on June 19, 2026 at 4:00 am
Off Oman's coast lives a small population of just over 80 Arabian Sea humpback whales (ASHWs). They are classified as endangered and are thought to be the only humpback whale population that doesn't undertake seasonal migrations across the world's oceans.
Q&A: Why so many whales are in Vancouver...
on June 17, 2026 at 11:20 pm
If you've noticed more whales visiting local waters, you're not imagining it: Vancouver's gargantuan guests are here thanks to the season, great grub and conservation successes, researchers say.
Seaweed farming offers climate benefits, but...
on June 17, 2026 at 8:00 pm
From sea lettuce adorning tidal pools and bull kelp left in windrows at the high tide line to towering underwater forests of giant kelp providing refuge and food for countless species, British Columbia's seaweeds are both prominently visible along shorelines and hidden from sight in the deep.
A 'super' El Niño has the power to devastate...
on June 17, 2026 at 7:40 pm
There is a more than 60% chance that a "super" El Niño will develop by the end of this year.
Levels of 'forever chemicals' in dolphins and...
on June 17, 2026 at 2:40 pm
Whales and dolphins inhabit some of the largest and seemingly most pristine environments on Earth, from tropical coastlines to Antarctic waters. Yet even they cannot escape PFAS—persistent "forever chemicals" that leak from our homes, factories and waterways into the sea.