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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Adventures

Explore related posts on Cosma …

Great Eyes o’ the Sea - The news is full of stories about how a giant squid was filmed in U.S. waters for the first time. Here’s a link to an article by ABC7 that includes a great clip about it. Wondrous 10-foot Giant Squid Spotted Deep in Gulf of Mexico (Danny Clemens, ABC7 New Orleans) Here is a link to … Continue reading Great Eyes o’ the Sea
Watchable Whales - A popular tourist activity in Boston is whale watching (Trip Advisor). That is because it’s only a short 25 mile trip out to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Wikipedia). Stellwagen Bank hosts several different species of large whales, including humpbacks, finbacks, minkes, pilot whales and right whales. If you’ve never seen a whale in person, … Continue reading Watchable Whales

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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.

This tiny jurassic predator helped pave the way...
on October 13, 2026 at 10:44 am
A 165-million-year-old fossil has revealed an extraordinary Jurassic predator that may help explain how mammals developed one of their most important evolutionary advantages. Although only 20 inches long, Megacauda sungei was a heavyweight among early mammal relatives, swimming through ancient waterways and hunting prey with specialized teeth. Its advanced swallowing anatomy reveals an early step toward the ability to safely nurse on milk, a key development in mammalian evolution.
Scientists were wrong about this strange mammal...
on September 28, 2026 at 12:25 pm
A beautifully preserved fossil from Mongolia’s Gobi Desert has solved a mystery that puzzled paleontologists for nearly 40 years. Tamirkhan balcarceli shows that zhelestids were not early relatives of modern placental mammals, despite having teeth that seemed to suggest they were. Instead, the rabbit-like animal belonged to a separate lineage of small Cretaceous mammals.
Humpback whale mother may have mourned her dead...
on September 22, 2026 at 1:05 pm
Researchers observed a humpback whale mother staying beside her presumed stillborn calf for hours and possibly days off Australia’s Gold Coast. She maintained eye contact and remained close to the calf in behavior resembling caregiving and nurturing. Scientists say the rare observation may provide new insight into grief, maternal attachment, and emotional complexity in humpback whales.
324-million-year-old fossil reveals how insects...
on August 27, 2026 at 7:22 am
Ancient fossils suggest insects conquered land through a long amphibious phase rather than making an abrupt jump from water to dry ground. A newly identified 324-million-year-old species still carried paddle-like abdominal limbs, revealing an evolutionary bridge between aquatic ancestors and modern six-legged insects.
Forget the sperm race: Fertilization may depend...
on August 6, 2026 at 6:25 am
Millions of sperm do not always compete alone—some species send them into action as coordinated teams. A sweeping evolutionary study found that this cooperation is widespread among arthropods and has repeatedly emerged and vanished over hundreds of millions of years. The discovery challenges the classic “fastest sperm wins” story and could influence future fertility research and pest-control strategies.

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.

Whales take different routes but still reach...
on October 16, 2026 at 11:40 am
Some travelers take the scenic route. Others step on the gas and head straight for the destination. New research suggests southern right whales do much the same when crossing the Southern Ocean.
Food, fear and physics help explain group...
on October 15, 2026 at 11:00 pm
The open ocean is a dynamic environment, where food is patchy, predators are plentiful, and oceanographic conditions change constantly. Life in the pelagic environment—the offshore waters that extend from the sunlit surface through the twilight zone—requires unique adaptations for survival.
North Sea heat wave fueled underwater plankton...
on October 15, 2026 at 8:00 pm
When a marine heat wave strikes, scientists often turn to satellites to see how the ocean is responding. From space, changes in ocean color can reveal shifts in phytoplankton, microscopic organisms that form the foundation of marine food webs and play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. But satellites have a fundamental limitation: they can only see the ocean's surface.
New DNA tool could help detect harmful algal...
on October 14, 2026 at 6:00 pm
A new study by researchers at the University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University has demonstrated that a DNA sequencing tool can rapidly identify harmful algae in coastal waters, offering a new approach for monitoring species that could lead to improved methods for detecting potentially dangerous species before blooms become widespread.
World's largest penguin colony loses its title...
on October 13, 2026 at 10:20 am
Zavodovski, a volcanic island in Antarctica, is silently witnessing a shift in the local ecosystem. Known as home to the world's largest penguin colony, this island has long been under the watchful eye of scientists. One such study has now led to a bittersweet discovery.