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Life After Whale (On Whale Falls)

When a whale dies, the story has just begun. The massive carcass sinks to the...

video

Sea Lion Sickness

Both humans and sea lions get sick from eating fish and shellfish that have been...

video

Killer Whale: Orca

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are master hunters, using speed, camouflage, and a...

slideshow

A Squalodontid Success

On a beach in Piña, Panama the tide is rolling out. Faint outlines of skeletal...

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Fox at the Tide Pools

The ocean sustains land animals besides humans. Here, a fox looks for a meal at low...

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Fossil Jellyfish

How long have jellyfish lived in the ocean? This jellyfish fossil is from the...

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Elephant Seals Laze on the Beach

These southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) may look like beach bums, but when...

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Sponge-Wielding Bottlenose Dolphin

A female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops sp.) carries a sponge, which it uses as a...

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Smithsonian Scientists Describe a New Fossil Whale

Monodontids, the group of whales that includes living belugas and narwhals, are...

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Dugong Feeding

Dugongs, along with manatees, make up a group of marine mammals called sirenians or...

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Exploring Chile's Marine Fossil Record in the Atacama Desert

Smithsonian curator of fossil marine mammals Nick Pyenson and a team of...

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Preparing a Fossil Whale Specimen

Paleobiologist Mark D. Uhen drills away rock to reveal the fossilized bones of...