Whales are among the largest and oldest animals on Earth. They can be found in every ocean and range in size from the small dwarf sperm whale to the massive blue whale, the largest animal on the planet. Whales belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans. Marine mammals in the cetacean family include whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
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There are two types of cetaceans: baleen and toothed. Baleen whales, or Mysticetes, have baleen plates which sieve prey, like krill, from the water. Toothed whales, or Odontocetes, have teeth and feed on fish, squid, and other marine mammals such as seals and sea lions.
Together with our partners, we work to ensure the conservation of whales which are all protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and protect and recover those that are listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Species News
A complete necropsy of a minke whale on Blakely Island, Washington. The necropsy revealed injuries—including severe bruising and broken ribs and vertebrae—consistent with a vessel strike. Credit: The Whale Museum
Feature Story
2022 and 2023 Combined Report of Marine Mammal Strandings in the United States
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
Trained and authorized responders use a grapple to grab the entanglement trailing behind a North Atlantic right whale (#4545). Credit: Center for Coastal Studies, taken under NOAA Permit # 24359
Feature Story
NOAA Announces Confirmed Large Whale Entanglement Numbers for 2023
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
First sighting of subadult bowhead whale on March 27, 2024 at 11:45 am in Sitka Sound, Alaska, USA (57.06N, 135.53W). Credit: Ellen Chenoweth from the vessel Pioneer. NOAA Fisheries MMPA/ESA Permit No. 24378.
Feature Story
Samples from Bowhead Whales Link Ocean Warming to Rising Algal Toxins in Arctic Waters
West Coast
Multimedia
A gray whale and her calf migrate north along the California coast on their way to summer feeding grounds in the Arctic. Scientists are using an unmanned aerial vehicle to produce very precise overhead images of gray whales, then analyzing the images to understand how environmental conditions affect the health of adult females and ultimately the reproductive success of the population. Credit: NOAA
Researchers retrieve a passive acoustic recorder. Courtesy: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Video
Listening for Whales: Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring to Track North Atlantic Right Whales
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Research
Surveys in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
We conduct research and monitoring surveys to better understand the physical, biological, economic, and social components of marine ecosystems found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean from the Canadian Scotian Shelf to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Peer-Reviewed Research
Accounting for Sperm Whale Population Demographics in Density Estimation Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring
The sperm whale population in the Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) is primarily composed…
On-Demand Gear Guide
A roadmap for providing fishermen an option to use on-demand fishing systems in the Greater Atlantic Region by 2028.
Monitoring the Ecosystem in the Northeast
The most comprehensive, ongoing program exploring marine resources and oceanographic conditions in the Northwest Atlantic. Our analyses inform local and international fisheries management, protected species research, and climate science.
Understanding Marine Mammal Protections
Learn how NOAA Fisheries protects all marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
