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38 items match your filter criteria.

NOAA Announces Confirmed U.S. Large Whale Entanglement Numbers for 2025

There were 76 confirmed large whale entanglement cases in 2025—similar to the historical average and a decrease from 2024.
September 30, 2026 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
A close up photograph of a humpback tail fluke prior to a deep dive. There is monofilament netting seen coming off the tail and entering the water. A humpback whale is documented with monofilament gillnet and floats in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Washington State and British Columbia, Canada. Credit: Val Shore/Eagle Wing Tours.

New Satellite Tag Offers Longer Tracking of Baleen Whales

A NOAA-affiliated research scientist pioneered a smaller, longer-lasting satellite tag design that anchors safely in the blubber layer of a whale. This engineering breakthrough improves scientists’ monitoring of baleen whale species.
August 17, 2026 - Feature Story ,
National
Aerial view of a right whale swimming near the surface of turquoise ocean water, with a small tracking tag circled in red on its upper back Southern right whale “Harmonia” swimming in the waters off Península Valdés, Argentina. Researchers deployed a new “blubber-only” satellite tag (circled) to monitor the whale’s movements with minimal impact to her health. Image by P. Faiferman/ICB, Courtesy of Alexandre Zerbini/Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies and NOAA Fisheries. Permits for tag deployment were issued by the Provinces of Chubut and Rio Negro, Argentina.

West Coast Gray Whale Estimate Shows Increase, New Count Determines

The reasons for the apparent increase remain an open question.
July 15, 2026 - Feature Story ,
West Coast
An aerial view of four gray whales swimming through clear blue ocean water. Gray whales migrating south past the Granite Station field site recorded via Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) or drone. This photograph will be used to calibrate group size and measure body condition. Photo collected under NMFS research permit 22306 and NMS permit MULTI-2024-003-A1.

Free Course on Boating Safely Around Whales Expands to West Coast and Hawaiʻi

We have expanded a free boater safety course for New England and the Mid-Atlantic to include the West Coast and Hawaiʻi. See a Spout? Watch Out!’s course offers tips on safely navigating waters shared with protected marine species like whales.
June 10, 2026 - Feature Story ,
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
West Coast
Logo for See a Spout? Watch Out! featuring an orange ship wheel surrounding a blue circle with a white whale fluke and spout emerging from blue water

Whale Week: Celebrating the Wonder of Whales

Celebrate Whale Week 2026 with us! Discover NOAA's work to study and conserve these magnificent marine mammals.
February 09, 2026 - Feature Story ,
National
Graphic for Whale Week featuring illustrations of long-finned pilot whale, sperm whale, beluga whale, and North Atlantic right whale

NOAA Announces Confirmed U.S. Large Whale Entanglement Numbers for 2024

There were 95 large whale entanglement cases documented in 2024—an increase from 2023 and higher than the historical average.
September 18, 2025 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
A trained and authorized responder stands on the bow of a boat and uses a specialized knife on a very long pole to attempt to remove an entanglement wrapped around a humpback whale’s body Credit: NOAA/Maria Harvey

NOAA Announces Confirmed Large Whale Entanglement Numbers for 2023

There were 64 large whale entanglement cases documented in 2023—a decrease from 2022 and below the historical average.
July 22, 2025 - Feature Story ,
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 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

Eastern North Pacific Gray Whales Continue Decline After Downturn During Unusual Mortality Event

Continued low calf count indicates that reproduction remains depressed.
June 18, 2025 - Feature Story ,
West Coast
Aerial view of gray whale mother and calf Gray whale mother and calf on northbound migration. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Trained Team Releases Gray Whale Entangled in Gillnet off California’s Palos Verdes Peninsula

Team worked for about 2 hours to remove gear entangling whale.
April 16, 2025 - Feature Story ,
West Coast
Responders aboard an inflatable boat trailing and entangled whale Responders approach the entangled whale off the Palos Verdes Peninsula, using a long pole with specialized blade to reach and sever the net and lines entangling the whale. Photo by Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, under NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Makah Whale Hunt Permit Application

Hunt permit application outlines tribal request to hunt gray whales in summer 2025 and 2027.
March 18, 2025 - Feature Story ,
West Coast
Makah Tribe in hand-carved canoes The Makah Tribe long hunted whales in hand-carved canoes, such as this one landing at Neah Bay on the Olympic Peninsula about 1900. They voluntarily stopped hunting gray whales in 1928 as commercial whaling depleted the species, which has since recovered in the eastern Pacific. Photo courtesy Museum of History and Industry, Negative Number 88.33.122.