Whales can adapt to seasonal and environmental conditions. But they are not working alone… They, just like us, team up with a vast army of microscopic soldiers literally every day. All these different microbes including bacteria, fungi, and viruses make up the whale’s microbiome. We can actually look at the composition of whales’ microbiomes to understand how changes in their conditions (like starvation) impact their health. Humpback whales fast for a good part of the…

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This little (2m – 2.8m / 6-9 feet) dolphin looks like a baby beluga whale. Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) have a super cute and expressive face. In this post we list a couple of interesting facts about these shy, and endangered dolphins. 1 — Small geographical range Habitat range – IWC Irrawaddy dolphins live in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia. They also live in three rivers: the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo)…

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This post talks about the future of sperm whales and other deep-divers in the Canary Islands. Sperm whales are such amazing animals. These whales are the world’s largest toothed whales, living up to 70 years. These giant whales are quite similar to submarine: they can deep-dive while holding their breath for about 45 minutes below 1,500 meters of depth. They spent most of their time in the deep and dark parts of our oceans looking…

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Finding a PhD on marine mammals is not an easy task, and not everyone succeeds. But that doesn’t mean your dreams of doing marine mammal research have to come to an end! As someone who has worked on marine mammals, birds, and terrestrial mammals, I give you eight reasons for why doing a PhD on a different system might actually work in your favour: 1 – More flexibility There are only a handful of universities…

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Whales did not just appear from the depths of the ocean. They have an intriguing evolutionary story. This story shines light on what makes them so unique and well-adapted for their watery world. In this post, we explain the evolution of whales, from tiny ungulates to the killer whale. It All Began on Land… Around 50 million years ago, the Age of Dinosaurs had long since ended. Instead, large mammals began to dominate the environment.…

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What do middle-aged women and whales have in common? Perhaps the unexpected answer is … menopause. Although they don’t have to suffer through hot flashes and mood-swings, several whale species stop getting pregnant midway through life. So-called post-reproductive lifespans have puzzled biologists for years. After all, evolutionary theory taught us that the whole purpose of existing is to pass on genes. So, scientists are now wondering: what is the meaning of life if one can…

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Fadia Al Abbar is a 31 years-old half Dutch half Kuwaiti marine mammalogist. She is currently doing her PhD on common dolphins in the Azores. Here is her story… Fadia’s education A focus on policy making I started my bachelor’s degree in environmental science, with a focus on policy making at Utrecht University, in the Netherlands. I chose this degree because I grew up close to nature and as I learnt from a young age,…

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If you arrived on this page, you could be looking for tips on how to prepare for grad school. You are in the right place! Whether you are about to enter a graduate program on whale science, environmental science, or any kind of biological/chemical science, I think you will enjoy this post. Here is one of the most valuable grad student tips if you want to pursue research at the academic level: Learn how to…

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Here is the story of Fluker, the fluke-less fin whale. This female whale became famous in the Mediterranean Sea because she lost her tail about a year ago. Through this post, we would like raise awareness on boat strikes and drifting nets that injure/kill many whales everywhere, every year. Today, Fluker, the whale with no tail, is dying. And it is our fault as humans… Fluker, the half-fluked whale Fluker was first sighted in 2006…

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Did you know you could encounter free dolphins outside of the ocean? Did you know these dolphins are pink and have whiskers?! This month’s we travel deep into the Amazon’s (and the Orinoco) forest and river basins, where we find the elusive Amazon River Dolphin or Boto (Inia geoffrensis). Rare sighting of a boto fully leaping out of the water. Photo © Kevin Schafer found off Claire Salisbury’s article Just Around the River Bend… The boto…

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