Splash into Whale Week with NOAA Fisheries

Southern Resident killer whales are among the most at-risk marine mammals in the world. Noise and crowding by boat traffic, chemical contaminants, as well as a scarcity of their preferred food—Chinook salmon—pose serious threats to this endangered population. 

The eastern population of the North Pacific right whale is one of the most critically endangered large whales in the world. There are only about 30 left, but research in the summer of 2017 is shedding new light on this elusive creature.

Known as "canaries of the sea" because of the many different sounds they make, these white whales are highly social. The endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale is a NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight. We are researching what threats are impacting this population the most in order to develop effective recovery strategies.

The endangered Southern Resident killer whale is an icon of the Pacific Northwest. Watch this video to find out more about Southern Resident killer whales, the threats they face, and how we are studying them in this interview with NOAA Fisheries scientist Lynne Barre.

Watch the video 

Whales play a pivotal role in the marine environment and they are important sentinels of changes in our marine ecosystems. Chris Oliver, head of NOAA Fisheries, kicks off Whale Week 2018 by highlighting our work to recover them and sharing more about why these fascinating creatures grab our attention. 

Fishing gear entanglement is one of the leading known causes of North Atlantic right whale deaths in the United States and Canada. Ropes or lines can cut into a whale’s body, cause serious injuries, and result in infections and mortality. Even if a gear entanglement does not ultimately result in death, it can cause severe stress to the whales, making it difficult for the animals to swim and feed, and reducing the likelihood that they will survive to reproduce. 

Learn more about marine mammal stranding response and investigations for North Atlantic right whales in this Q&A with NOAA Marine Biologist Mendy Garron, who coordinates marine mammal stranding response activities along the East Coast from New York to Maine. 

Meet Mendy Garron and learn more about right whale stranding response

NOAA scientists celebrate 25 years of research on gray whale calf production. Each spring since 1994, shore-based counts of gray whale mother-calf pairs have been conducted off central California. The dataset serves as a firm foundation for examining the interplay between changing environmental conditions and gray whale population dynamics.

Learn more about what you can do to help whales, such as:

• Know the law

• Report marine life in distress

• Report a violation

• Stay at least 100 yards away

• Support companies that commit to using best practices and protecting the oceans, such as whale watching companies that participate in Whale SENSE.

• Be a good neighbor. Recycle, reuse, dispose of garbage properly, and don't release balloons into the air. This will help prevent marine debris and keep the ocean clean and healthy.

An undergraduate research voyage in the Caribbean with SEA Semester presents a perfect opportunity for scientists from NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center to continue their research on humpback whales.

Read more about this research opportunity here

From the songs of humpbacks to the size of blue whales, take  a look at this list to see if you learn something new about these majestic creatures.