X-Ray Mag

Whales

Humpback whale with bubble net

Whales pass on knowledge

10 years ago By Main minion

A team of researchers, led by the University of St Andrews, has discovered that a new feeding technique has quickly spread to 40 per cent of a humpback whale population. Humpbacks around the world herd shoals of prey by blowing bubbles underwater to produce 'bubble nets'.

The feeding innovation, called 'lobtail feeding', involves hitting the water with the tail before diving to produce the bubble nets. Lobtail feeding was first observed in 1980, after the stocks of herring, previously the main food for the whales, became depleted.

Does this whale talk?

11 years ago By Main minion

Excerpts from Current Biology, Volume 22, Issue 20, R860-R861, 23 October 2012

The whale lived among a group of dolphins and socialized with two female white whales. The whale was exposed to speech not only from humans at the surface -- it was present at times when divers used surface-to-diver communication equipment.

Blaineville's beaked whales regularly dive over 1000 meters for over an hour in search of prey which varies from 400-1000 meters.
Blaineville's beaked whales regularly dive over 1000 meters for over an hour in search of prey which varies from 400-1000 meters.

Beaked whales found to forage off the Bahamas

11 years ago By Main minion

Beaked whale species are thought to be sensitive to noise arising from certain human activities; in 2000, beaked whale strandings were observed coinciding with naval sonar exercises in the Bahamas.

Understanding the distribution and behavior of these species is important to minimize harmful impacts from human uses of the ocean.

A research team from Duke University, Woods Hole, and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center listened for foraging beaked whales and measured ocean features and distributions of prey off the eastern coast of Andross Island in the Bahamas.

Basilosaurus, one of the most common of the primitive whales lived 35 to 40 million years ago
Basilosaurus, one of the most common of the primitive whales lived 35 to 40 million years ago. Note: rendition's accuracy is disputed because it would probably not have had exposed teeth like that.

Prehistoric whales got bent

12 years ago By Main minion

A team of paleobiologists surveyed hundreds of modern and ancient whale skeletons for decompression syndrome, which occurs when quick pressure changes force air or fat bubbles out of blood vessels.

Such damage would have been common when whales first began plunging into the depths of the ocean, says Brian Beatty, of New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, US, who led the study.

Whale curry

14 years ago By Main minion

Asian Lunch, which says it sells 1,000-1,500 lunch boxes daily in Tokyo's business districts, will offer the meat once a week, starting Thursday with a South Asian-style keema curry. "I hope many young women will want to have it as it's healthy with high protein and low fat. It's also rich in iron," company spokeswoman Yuka Yamaguchi said. The firm is also hoping to attract young men who have never tasted the meat before, she said, adding that 600 servings had been prepared for its debut at a cost of 650 to 700 yen (6 to 6.5 dollars).

When a whale dies, it sinks to the seafloor and becomes food for an entire ecosystem.

New species discovered on whale skeletons

14 years ago By Main minion

DNA technology to show that the species diversity in our oceans may be higher than previously thought. Dead whales constitute an unpredictable food source - it is impossible to know when and where a whale is going to die, and when it does, the food source does not last forever. Nevertheless, some marine species have specialised in feeding on whale cadavers.

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