December 2018

• SETI Researcher Thinks Humpback Song Holds Clues to Deciphering Alien Language (Vox, 12/6/18).

• NOAA Declares Red Tide-Linked “Unusual Mortality Event” as Dolphins Die All Along Florida’s Gulf Coast — See Photo (The Islander, 12/4/18).

• Photographer Films Dolphin Stampede Off California — See Video in SloMo & Normal Speed (USA Today, 12/3/18).

• Dolphins, Marine Life, Sea Birds Keep Dying as Florida Officials, Media Refuse to Grapple with Climate Change, Link to Red Tide — See Photos (The New York Times, 12/2/18).

November 2018

• Wild Dolphin Project Salutes Manatees for Manatee Awareness Month — See Photos (The Wild Dolphin Project, 11/30/18).

• NMFS Grants 5 Permits for Seismic Surveys Along Atlantic Coast, Putting Dolphins, Whales, Marine Life, Fisheries, Beach Tourism at Risk — See Photo & Video (The Washington Post, 11/30/18). Read more here.

• 90 More Pilot Whales Strand in New Zealand, Bringing Count to 230 in 1 Week — See Photos & Video (NPR, 11/30/18).

• Study: 2 Humpbacks in BC Invent New Feeding Strategy, 4 Years Later 16 Are Using It — See Video (COSMOS, 11/30/18). Read the study, see maps, photos, charts and illos here.

• Study:  Fossil of Toothless Whale May Fill Gap Between Ancient Toothed & Modern Baleen Whales — See Photo & Illo (Gizmodo, 11/29/18). Read more, see more photos here.

• Study: Whales in Antarctic Dropping Song Pitch, Climate Change Could be Factor (EOS, 11/28/18). Read more, see more photos and charts, listen to whale song here.

• Dead Sperm Washes Up in Indonesia with 13 Lbs of Plastic in Stomach — See Video (National Geographic, YouTube, 11/27/18).

• Study: Humpbacks Sing One Song for Few Years, Adding Embellishments, Then Ditch It & Start New One (Newser, 11/26/18).

• Red Tide Suspected Cause of 22 Dolphin Deaths in SW Florida Over Holiday Weekend — See Photos (Coastal Breeze News, 11/26/18). Read more, see more photos here and here.

• More than 140 Pilot Whales Strand, Die in New Zealand — See Video (USA Today, 11/26/18). See more video here.

• IUCN: Conservation Efforts Paying Off in Slow Recovery of Giraffe, Gorilla, Gray Whale Populations (Nature, 11/22/18).

• Study: Female Orca Makes Record-Setting Dive to Snag Toothfish from Fishing Line in South Atlantic (Hakai, 11/16/18).

• Bat Researcher Says Bats Have Better Sonar than Dolphins — See Photos & Video(Scientific American, 11/12/18).

• NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Captures Jupiter Cloud Formation of Dolphin Leaping through Ocean Waves — See Images (Cnet, 11/9/18).

• Russia Holding 11 Orcas, 90 Belugas in Small Sea Pens for Suspected Sale to Chinese Marine Parks — See Photos & Videos (EcoWatch, 11/7/18). Read more, see map, video and news report here.

• It’s Even More Stunning in Slow Motion: Watch Humpbacks Bubble Net-Feeding in Norway — See Video (Daily Mail, 11/6/18)

• Sperm Whales Showing Up in Arctic as Seas Warm — See Photo & Map (The Guardian, 11/5/18). See video here.

• Hydrophone Lets Humans Eavesdrop on Orcas of Puget Sound — See Photos & News Reports, Listen to Orcas (KOMO News, 11/2/18).

• Fisherman Puts Life at Risk to Free Tangled Humpback — See Video (The Washington Post, 11/2/18).

• Researchers Test ID’ing, Counting Whales by Satellite — See Photos (BBC News, 11/1/18).

• Canadian Government Steps Up Efforts to Save 74 Last Surviving Southern Resident Orcas — See Photos (EcoWatch, 11/1/18).

October 2018

• Baleen Analysis Tells Story of North American Right Whale’s Life & Death — See Photos (Hakai, 10/31/18).

• Boating Couple Watches Dolphin Nudge Dead Calf for Miles in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon — See Photo & News Report (Fox 35, 10/26/18).

• 2 Studies Investigate How Bottlenose Dolphins, Humpbacks Adapt, React to Underwater Noise (The Washington Post, 10/26/18). Read more here and here.

• First a Young Female Rough-Toothed, Now Young Female Pantropical Spotted Strands on Gulf Coast — See Photos (WLOX, 10/18/18).

• Minkes, Humpbacks, Rights All Dying along East Coast  — See Photos & Charts (Mashable, 10/17/18).

• Scientists Use Listening Devices to Assess Numbers, Range of Critically Endangered Baltic Sea Harbor Porpoise — See Photo (Hakai, 10/17/18).

• Glimpses of Vaquita Mothers with Calves Give Researchers Hope Vanishing Species Could Still Survive — See Photo (The New York Times, 10/17/18).

• Camera Attached to Humpback Calf Records Nursing Behavior Off Madagascar — See Footage (Acoustic Communication Team, YouTube, 10/15/18).

• Young Rough-Toothed Dolphin, a Deep-Water Species, Strands on Biloxi Ms Beach — See Photos (WLOX, 10/12/18).

• Family Freaks, Father Thrilled by Close Humpback Encounter in Puget Sound — See Video (HuffPost, 10/9/18).

• Last Surviving Right Whales Move Feeding Grounds North From Bay of Fundy to Gulf of St. Lawrence as Oceans Warm  — See Photos, Listen to Radio Segment (NPR, 10/9/18).

• Newly Discovered Chain of Seamounts East of Tasmania Seem to be Whale Hotspot — See Photo & Image (Live Science, 10/9/18). Read more here and here.

• NOAA: Only Right Way to Interact with Hawaii’s Spinner Dolphins — Leave Them Alone — See Photos & Video (NOAA, 10/2/18). Read a study on the impacts of human activities on spinners here.

• Fishing Charter Captain, Clients Help Save Dolphin Stranded in Everglades Mud Flats — See Video (Miami Herald, 10/2/18).

September 2018

• Does South America’s Franciscana Need Saving? Scientists Know Too Little to Say for Sure — See Photos (Hakai, 9/27/18).

• Study: PCBs Linked to Decline of Orca Populations around World — See Photo & Diagrams (The Conversation, 9/27/18). Read more, see photos here, here, here and here.

• Study: Discovery of Ancient Game Pieces Made of Whalebone Could Mark Rise of Whaling in Scandinavia — See Photo & Diagram (Hakai, 9/25/18).

• Lonely Little Beluga Wandering in River Thames — See Photos & Video (BBC News, 9/25/18). Read more, see more photos & video here, here, here and here.

• Drone Captures Footage of Very Rare Albino Risso’s Dolphin Off California — See Photos & Videos (BNQT, 9/21/18). See more video here.

• Drone Captures Footage of Orcas Killing Dolphin Off California — See Photos & Video (Daily Mail, 9/21/18).

• Snorkeler Watches Orcas Toy with Sea Turtles in Galápagos — See Video & Photos (National Geographic, 9/17/18).

• Whale Watchers See 3 Humpbacks Execute Coordinated Triple Breach Off Nova Scotia — See Video (HuffPost, 9/15/18).

• International Whaling Commission Preserves Ban on Commercial Whaling at Meeting in Brazil — See Photos (Aljazeera, 9/14/18).

• Meet the Well Studied Dolphins of Sarasota Bay Now Being Threatened by Red Tide — See Photos (Herald-Tribune, 9/13/18)

• Struggling Young Female Southern Resident Orca J50 Missing, Presumed Dead — See Photos (The Washington Post, 9/13/18).

• Fishing Boats Compete with Whales for Bunker Fish in NYC Waters — See Photos (The New York Times, 9/13/18).

• Lonely Narwhal Adopted by Band of Belugas in St. Lawrence River — See Photo & Video (The Guardian, 9/13/18).

• Humpback Whacks Inflatable Tour Boat with Fluke Off Brier Island, NS — See Photo & Video (Canoe.com, 9/13/18).

• Researcher Believe Chinese White Dolphin’s Unique Whistles While Carrying Dead Infant Were Sounds of Grief — Hear Recordings (Hakai, 9/13/18).

• Southern Resident Killer Whales are Disappearing, and It’s Our Fault — See Photos (Hatch, 9/12/18).

• Researchers Consider Capturing Ailing Orca to Try to Save Her If All Else Fails (Kitsap Sun, 9/12/18). Read more here.

• 43 Cuvier’s Beaked Whales Wash Up Dead in UK in 1 Month; Submarines, Seismic Sonar Suspected Cause (Newsweek, 9/12/18).

• IWC Votes to Allow Indigenous Communities to Keep Hunting Whales (France 24, 9/12/18).

• Japan, Norway, Russia, Other Pro-Whaling Nations Block Bid to Create Sanctuary in South Atlantic at IWC Meeting in Brazil (The Guardian, 9/12/18). Read more here.

• Mote Marine Researchers Blame Red Tide for Death of 17 Bottlenose Dolphins — See Photos & News Report (10 News, 9/12/18).

• Japan Pushes to End Ban on Commercial Whaling at International Whaling Commission Meeting in Brazil (The Hill, 9/11/18). Read more here and here.

• A Sight to See: Superpod of Common Dolphins Swimming Wild & Free in Monterey Bay —  See Video (Monterey Bay Aquarium, YouTube, 9/5/18). Read more here.

• Study Finds Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in 71% of Urine Samples from Dolphins of Sarasota Bay — See Photo (Science Daily, 9/5/18). Read more here.

• 3rd Rarely Seen Pygmy Killer Whale Strands on Longboat Key FL, 1 Week after 2 Others Stranded in Clearwater — See Photos & Video (ABC 7 MySuncoast, 9/4/18). Read more, see another photo here.

• Young Female Southern Resident Orca J50 Struggling but Still Alive — See Video (KIRO7, 9/3/18). Read more, see more video here.

August 2018

• NOAA: 41 Dolphins Killed by Red Tide in 1 Month Qualifies as “Unusual Mortality Event“ (Miami Herald, 8/31/18).

• Canadian Court Blocks Pipeline, Orders Studies of Impact on Orcas, Indigenous People — See Photos (The Seattle Times, 8/30/18). Read more here. See video reports here and here.

• Humpback Seems to Intentionally Strike Boat Too Close to Where It’s Feeding — See Video (Daily Mail, 8/29/18).

• Study: Rescued Dolphin Learns Tail Walking during Brief Captivity, Teaches It to Others in Wild — See Video (Phys.Org, 8/29/18). Read more, see more photos and video here, here, and here.

• Study: Lone Dolphin Seems to Alter Click Patterns to Match Harbor Porpoise Companions off Scotland — See Photos (The Telegraph, 8/28/18). Read more, see more photos here.

• Rescuers Bring in Heavy Equipment to Free Stranded Orca in Argentina — See Video (The Telegraph, 8/28/18).

• Still Concerned about Health of Young Southern Resident Orca, J50, Scientists Want to Dart Her with More Drugs — See Photos (CBC News, 8/28/18). Read more here.

• Pilot Whale Strands on Abaco, Rescuers Discover Someone has Sliced It with Knife — See Photo (Tribune 242, 8/27/18).

• Too-Friendly Wild Dolphin Becomes Nuisance in France — See Photos (The Telegraph, 8/27/18). Read more, see more photos here and here.

• Study: Belugas, Narwhals Go Through Menopause (The Washington Post, 8/27/18).

• Humpback Breaches Really Close to Small Whale-Watching Boat in Alaska — See Video (KTUU 2, 8/22/18).

• Red Tide Suspected Cause of 15 Dolphin Deaths in 15 Days in Sarasota — See Photo (ABC Action News, 8/22/18).

• Feeding Humpback Hits, Flips Small Fishing Boat Off NJ Coast — See Videos (ABC Action News, 8/17/18).

• Researchers Concerned about Health of  Young Female Southern Resident Orca, J50 — See Photos (CBC News, 8/18/18). See more photos and video here.

• Southern Resident Orca J35 Abandons Body of Dead Newborn after 17 Days — See Photos & Video (Mashable, 8/13/18). Read more, see more photos and video here.

• Ties between Human, Dolphin Residents of Australia’s Tin Can Bay Have Long History — See Photos & Video (abc.net.au, 8/12/18).

July 2018

• Orca Calf Born to Southern Resident Population’s J Pod Dies Hour after Birth, Mother Still Carrying Body Days Later — See Photo (The Washington Post, 7/27/18). Read more here, here, here, here and here.

• Pregnant Dolphin Washes Up Dead from Gunshot Wound on Mississippi Beach — See Photo (ABC News 5 Cleveland, 7/23/18).

• Some Bottlenose Can Dive for 13 Minutes to More than 3,000 Feet, Scientists Want to Know How (Science Daily, 7/17/18).

• Researcher Sees 2 Humpbacks Circling, Touching Dead Gray Whale Calf, Colleagues Debate What to Make of It — See Photos (Hakai, 7/17/18).

• Hong Kong Bridge Project Newest Threat to Disappearing Pink Dolphins — See Photos & Video (AOL.com, 7/17/18).

• Study: Ancient Romans Whaling May Wiped Out Grays, Rights in Mediterranean Sea — See Maps & Photos (The New York Times, 7/16/18). Read more here.

• Group Calls on Tour Operators to Restrict, Phase Out Swimming with Dolphins, Whales — See Photos (Independent, 7/13/18).

• Open-Water Sanctuary for Former Captive Belugas Scheduled to Open in Iceland in March — See Photos & Video (PETA, 7/13/18).

• Icelandic Whaling Company Accused of Harpooning Endangered Blue Whale — See Photos (The Telegraph, 7/12/18).

• Photographer Documents Subsistence Whale Hunt on Indonesian Island — See Graphic Photos (Hakai, 7/10/18).

• 18 White-Sideds Strand in Cape Cod, Rescuers Free 10, Only 2 Survive — See Photos & Video (WBZ4 CBS Boston, 7/10/18). See more video here.

• Lack of Salmon, Toxins, Stress, Disease Killing Off Pacific Northwest’s Last Surviving Southern Resident Orcas — See Photos (The New York Times, 7/9/18).

• Indigenous Community Hunts, Eats Belugas in Alaska (Anchorage Daily News, 7/8/18).

• Experts: Dolphins, Humans Could Both Suffer from Too Much Contact in Destin, FL — See Photos & Video (Santa Rosa’s Press Gazette, 7/7/18).

• Baby Blue Whale Inspects Boat Off San Diego — See Photo & Video (BNQT, 7/5/18).

June 2018

• Study: Right Whales Could be Gone in 30 Years (Futurity, 6/29/18).

• Drone Captures Footage of Mother Blue & Calf Off San Diego — See Video (DroneDJ, 6/29/18).

• Iceland Starts 1st Whale Hunt in 3 Years by Slaughtering 67′ Endangered Fin — See Photos (The Dodo, 6/26/18). Thanks to Denise Herzing for this item.

• Researchers Report Assumed Death of 23-Year-Old Male Southern Resident Orca L92, aka Crewser — See Photo (The Seattle Times, 6/16/18). Read more, see more photos here and here.

• Rare Pygmy Sperm Whale Washes up on Massachusetts Beach — See Photo (Boston.com, 6/14/18).

• Rare, Beautiful Right Whale Dolphin Washes Up on Oregon Beach — See Photos (Oregon Live, 6/14/18). Read more here.

• Researchers Record Clicks, Calls of Arctic Narwhals — Listen to Recordings (The New York Times, 6/13/18).

• Study: Humpback Moms in Hawaii Stick to Shallow Waters While Calves Are Young — See Photos (Science Trends, 6/13/18).

• Study: Short-Finned Pilot Whales, Risso’s Dolphins Seem to Know Which Orca Calls Signal Danger, Which Don’t — See Photos & Hear Recordings (Science, 6/12/18). Read more, see more photos and video, listen to more recordings here.

• Humpback Breaches Almost Too Near Whale-Watching Boat In Australia, Passengers Thrilled, Soaked — See Video (Mashable, 6/11/18).

• Male Dolphin Buddies in Shark Bay, Australia Strengthen Ties with Calls, Synchrony, Touch — See Videos (National Geographic, 6/7/18). Read more, see more photos and video here.

• Study: Evidence Keeps Mounting that Dolphins Mourn Their Dead — See Photos & Videos (Daily Mail, 6/6/18). Read more here. See more video here.

May 2018

• Right Whales Return to Nova Scotia, No Calves in Sight — See Video (The Daytona Beach News-Journal, 5/29/18).

• Humpback’s Spiraling Breach Thrills NJ Whale Watchers — See Video (Fox News, 5/29/18).

• Finding: Japan Slaughtered 122 Pregnant Fins in Latest Antarctic Whaling Season — See Photo & Video (Newsweek, 5/29/18).

• Sea Shepherd Forces Australian Government to Release 2008 Footage of Illegal Japanese Whaling in Antarctic — See Video (EcoWatch, 5/29/18).

• Finding: Sperm Whales in Mediterranean Being Killed by Eating Plastic — See Photos (EcoWatch, 5/24/18).

• Stranded White-Sided Dolphins Rescued from Cape Cod Beach — See Video (WCBV 5, 5/20/18). Read more, see more photos here.

• Photographer Captures Images of Dolphins Attacking Smaller Porpoise in Scotland — See Photos (BBC News, 5/18/18).

• US Fisheries Puts Last 100 Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin on Endangered List, Freeing U.S. to Help in Conservation — See Photo (EcoWatch, 5/9/18).

• Researchers See More Whales Missing Flukes from Gear Entanglement — See Photos & Video (National Geographic, 5/7/18)

• Grays Migrate, Orcas Attack, Humpbacks Interfere in Monterey Bay — See Photos & Video (The Mercury News, 5/7/18).

• Right Whales Thrill Whalewatchers in Cape Cod Bay — See News Report (WCVB5, 5/4/18)

• Study: 2 Species of Amazon River Dolphin, Boto & Tucuxi, Disappearing (Phys.Org, 5/2/18). Read the study here. Read more, see photos and video here.

• Outa My Way! Surfing Dolphin Bumps Paddle Boarder Off Board — See Video (The Washington Post, 5/1/18). Read more, see more video here.

• Humpbacks Having Lots of Babies in Southern Ocean (The New York Times, 5/1/18). Read more, see a photo here.

• Good News/Bad News: 117 Rights Still in Cape Cod Bay/Lobster Season Postponed until They Leave — See Photos & News Report (NBC Boston, 5/1/18).

April 2018

• Researchers Partially Remove Line Wrapped around Right Whale’s Jaw Off Provincetown — See Photo (The Washington Post, 4/14/18).

• Researcher Welcomes Dolphins Back to Potomac — See Photo (The Washington Post, 4/13/18).

• Sperm Whale Found Dead in Southern Spain with 64 Lbs of Trash in Digestive System — See Photos & Video (EcoWatch, 4/10/18).

• Researchers Anticipate Extinction of North American Right Whales — See Photos (The Washington Post, 4/8/18).

• Study: Belugas, Like Orcas, Have Culture — See Photo (Science Daily, 4/5/18).

• Study: Mysterious, Long-Lived Bowheads Sing Complex, Jazz-Like Songs — See Photo, Listen to Recordings (National Geographic, 4/3/18). Read more, see more photos, listen to more recordings here, here and here. Find the study here.

• Scientists Fighting to Save North American Right Whale May Soon be Out of Work (Boston Herald, 4/3/18).

• Researchers Explore Connection between Indigenous Whale Hunters & Prey — See Photos (Hakai, 4/3/18).

• Japan Kills 333 Minkes in This Year’s Illegal Whale Hunt — See Photos (EcoWatch, 4/2/18).

• 200 Dolphins Dead of Virus, Pollution in Once Pristine Sepetiba Bay, Brazil — See Photos & Video (The New York Times, 4/2/18). Read more, see more photos and video here.

• Critically Endangered N.A. Right Whale Calving Season Ends with No New Babies Sighted — See Photo (The Brunswick News, 4/2/18).

• Monterey Bay is Action Central for Whale Watchers in April — See Photo (San Francisco Chronicle, 4/1/18).

March 2018

• Filmmaker Spends 5 Years Filming Faroe Island Whale Hunt — See Photos & Trailer (The Guardian, 3/29/18).

• 61 Common Dolphins Strand, 49 Die in Patagonia — See Photos & Video (Daily Mail, 3/26/18).

• Residents Free 7 Dolphins from Harbor Ice in Heart’s Delight, Newfoundland — See Photos (The Packet, 1/23/18).

• 150 Pilot Whales Strand on Western Australia Beach — See Photos & Video (The Sydney Morning Herald, 3/23/18). Read more, see more photos and video here and here.

• Scientific First: Researchers Witness First Orca Infanticide in B.C. — See Video (Global News, 3/22/18). Read more, see more photos and video here, here and here. Read the study, see more photos here.

• A Little Bit of Heaven — Riding Horseback Off a Beach with Friendly Dolphins Swimming Close — See Video (Equine Development, YouTube). Special thanks to Marsha Wallace for sharing this.

• Researchers Capture Beautiful Footage of Minkes in Antarctic — See Videos (CBC News, 3/21/18).

• Groups Sue NMFS to Fulfill Requirements to Protect Endangered Pacific Humpbacks (The Orange County Register, 3/15/18). Learn more here.

• Governor of Washington State Creates Taskforce to Save Endangered Orcas — See Photo & News Report (KIRO 7, 3/14/18). Read more here.

• Photographer Captures Drone Footage of Rare Whale Off Dominica — See Video (National Geographic, 3/9/18).

• Norway Increases Whale Kill Quota — See Photo (Independent, 3/7/18). Read more, see more photos here.

• Washington State Considers Expanding Chinook Hatcheries to Help Feed Starving Orcas (Hakai, 3/2/18).

• Study: Risso Dolphins Scan for Prey on Way Up from 1 Feeding Dive, May Be Deciding Where to Dive Next (COSMOS, 3/1/18). Read more here.

February 2018

• Still No Right Whale Calves This Season, Experts Fear Species Extinction — See Photos (Independent, 2/27/18). Read more, see more photos and video here, here, here and here.

• California Charterboat Operator Slammed for Letting Passengers Pet Friendly Passing Gray Whale — See Photos & Videos (Metro, 2/27/18).

• 3 Dead Baby Dolphins Wash Up on Mississippi Gulf Beach in 1 Week — See Photos & News Report (WAFB 9, 2/24/18).

• Whale Watchers See Gray Whale with No Fluke, Fresh Wound  Off California — See Photo & Video (Mercury News, 2/23/18).

• NOAA Declares “Unusual Mortality Event” for 3rd Atlantic Whale Species — See Photos (NRDC, 2/23/18).

• Right Whales Return to Georgia Waters, but No Calves Seen Yet — See Photos (The Daytona Beach News-Journal, 2/21/18). Read more, see more photos here, here and here.

• Study: Belugas in Arctic Dive Deeper, Longer for Prey as Sea Ice Disappears (Science Daily, 2/20/18).

• Study: Greenland’s Narwhals Prefer Still Waters Near Stable Glaciers — See Photos (EarthSky, 2/18/18).

• Study: Underwater Listening May Be Best Way to Detect, Protect Endangered Right Whales — See Photo, Hear Recording (Bangor Daily News, 2/15/18).

• Study: Drop in Krill Could Threaten Whales, Other Antarctic Marine Life — See Photos (The Guardian, 2/14/18).

• Advocates Sue Feds to Protect Right Whales from Entanglement in Lobster Traps, Fishing Gear (EcoWatch, 2/12/18).

• Pygmy Whale Strands on DelRay FL Beach (PalmBeachPost.com, 2/11/18).

• Gray Whale, Dolphins Frolic Off Oceanside CA — See Photos & Video (Daily Mail, 2/5/18).

• Study: Ocean Microplastics Threaten Health, Welfare of Baleen Whales, Other Filter Feeders (The Guardian, 2/5/18).