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Native Knowledge of the Narwhal

The narwhal is an elusive mammal. During the winter months they feed in the deep...

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The Story of Stashed Whale Baleen

In 2012, John Ososky, a specimen preparator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum...

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Citizens of the High Seas

In a world where land is partitioned into countries with defined borders, the ocean...

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Hope & Despair for the North Atlantic Right Whale Population

Late one afternoon in February 2019, Melanie White and the other members of a...

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A Century of Whales at the Smithsonian

Whales have been at the heart of Smithsonian research since 1850, when Spencer...

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What the Megalodon Left Behind

The largest shark ever to exist on this planet, Carcharocles megalodon, could grow...

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Ocean Objects of Wonder

As humans, we are constantly learning. Not only as individuals from the moment we...

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Flippers or Feet? An Extinct Mammal May Have Been Replaced By Today's Sea Cows

In the seagrass beds and kelp forests of the Oligocene-Miocene transition, nearly...

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Whale Earwax: What You Can Learn From Strange Collections

Ever collected something a bit strange? Snow globes, pens, stamps and coins are...

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Keeping An Ear Out For Whale Evolution

Large whales are notoriously hard to study. Except when rising to breathe, they...

Personal Perspectives

History and Modern Science Collide for the 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan

Traveling aboard the Charles W. Morgan, a 173-year-old whaling ship on its 38th...

Personal Perspectives

Bacteria on Whale Skin Tell a Tale of Health and Sickness

Whales swimming in the ocean are never really alone. Even if one swims by itself...