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Mammals

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PHOTO Common Dolphin and Calf Toothed whales, like this common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and its calf, live in social groups called pods. The mother and calf form a pair that shares a long-term bond. Read more about to...MORE PHOTOS


	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Hawaiian Monk Seal The endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is one of hundreds of...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Florida Manatee in a Fresh Water Spring Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) swimming within a fresh water s...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Humpback Whale Breaching Breaching is a behavior seen in some baleen whales, where they launch their enti...

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					West Indian Manatee Portrait May 17, 2013 - 9:24AMWest Indian Manatees, Trichechus manatus, are found in warm, shallow coastal ecosystems along the southeastern North America and northeastern South America. They graze plants in mangrove ecosystems and seagrass beds, occasionally...

Humpback Whale in Antarctic Waters

Apr 4, 2013 - 9:22AM

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) can be found in Antarctic waters...

Harp Seal, Prince Edward Island National Park, Canada

Apr 3, 2013 - 9:04AM

Harp seals are protected in the United States by the Marine Mammal...

SPOTLIGHT


Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) The TOPP program brought together scientists from seven countries to explore the lives of large mid-water animals such as...

Wadden Sea, Germany & the Netherlands Nov 4 2010 - 3:23pm The Wadden Sea site in Germany and the Netherlands was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2009. It’s a large relatively flat coastal wetland environment, with tidal channels, sandy shoals, sea-grass meadows, mussel beds, sandbars, mudflats, salt marshes, estuaries, beaches, and dunes. The site...	Baleen in Action Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am The fringed baleen plates are easy to observe as this North Atlantic right whale skims the water’s surface while it feeds. Many baleen whales suck in as much water was possible, and then push it out through their baleen to sieve out any krill. Right whales, however, skim the water's surface. More...
Model of Phoenix Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am A life-size, meticulously detailed model of the North Atlantic right whale Phoenix hangs in the Smithsonian’s Sant Ocean Hall in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC. More about Phoenix can be found in the Tale of a Whale photo essay.	North Atlantic Right Whale Territory Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am North Atlantic right whales migrate seasonally between calving and feeding grounds along the eastern coast of the United States. Most North Atlantic right whales go south for the winter, to the shallow coastal waters off the southeastern United States. That's where the females give birth to calves...
Phoenix in Bay of Fundy Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Phoenix was photographed swimming off the coast of Canada in the Bay of Fundy in August 2007. More about the right whale can be found in our Tale of a Whale featured story.	Northern Right Whale and Calf Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am A Northern right whale swims with her calf
Whale Rescue Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am A team from the Center for Coastal Studies works to free a one-year-old right whale from the fishing ropes wrapped and knotted around its body and flippers. The whale is Kingfisher, #3346 in the North American Right Whale Catalog.	Polar Bears, Cape Churchill, Manitoba, Canada Dec 23 2010 - 2:01pm “In late November, land-locked polar bears gather along the Hudson Bay to await the formation of Arctic ice so they can return to their seal-hunting grounds for the winter.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Alan Zipp. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's...
Phoenix: Mouth Scarring Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am An early scale model of North Atlantic right whale Phoenix that was used to develop a life size model for the Smithsonian shows the location of scars on her mouth from entanglements with fishing gear. More about the right whale can be found in our Tale of a Whale featured story.	Phoenix Sighting May 2010 May 7 2010 - 5:10pm Phoenix – our favorite North Atlantic Right Whale – was spotted feeding this week off the coast of New Hampshire! Researchers track these highly endangered whales (there are only about 450 of them left) very closely and use their skin markings to confirm sightings. The New England Aquarium keeps...
Who’s That Whale? Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am A drawing of Phoenix from the Right Whale Catalog documents her callosity pattern and other identifying marks. More about whales can be found in our Tale of a whale featured story.	A Mediterranean Monk Seal Pup Jul 12 2011 - 1:00pm Watch a recorded webcast about the latest efforts in Greece to study and save the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal.
Phoenix the North Atlantic Right Whale Video Dec 1 2009 - 2:46pm Researchers frequently track North Atlantic right whales from ships or from the air. This video of Phoenix (left) was captured in March 2009 on George’s Shoal, east of Chatham, Mass. Learn more about Phoenix in our Tale of a Whale photo essay.	Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Little Bahama Bank, The Bahamas Dec 23 2010 - 2:14pm “At night, spotted dolphins move offshore into the Gulf Stream’s deep waters in search of squid.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Andrew Sallmon. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Ocean Views photo contest.
Crew Works on Phoenix Model Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am A crew works on creating a life-size, meticulously detailed model of the North Atlantic right whale Phoenix—the “ambassador” of the Smithsonian’s Sant Ocean Hall in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC. More about the right whale can be found in our Tale of a Whale featured story.	A Right Whale Named Phoenix Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Phoenix swimming with her calf in February 2007 in the Southeast calving grounds off the coasts of Georgia and Florida. Researchers track these highly endangered whales (there are only about 450 of them left) very closely and use their skin markings to confirm sightings. The New England Aquarium...