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25 items match your filter criteria.

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

Archived Skin Samples Reveal New Insights on Habitat Use of Rare Eastern North Pacific Right Whales

Innovative analysis uncovers a record of habitat use over 24 years to inform recovery strategies for an endangered whale.
February 16, 2025 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
View of whale swimming in the ocean. Collecting a biopsy skin sample from an eastern North Pacific right whale. The yellow dart will be retrieved along with a tiny skin sample. The small bump on the whale’s back is a satellite tag. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Amy Kennedy. MML permit 782-1719

18 Years of Eastern North Pacific Right Whale Sightings Shed Light on Important Habitats and Movements

A new study details all sightings since 2006 to fill key knowledge gaps for this mysterious, endangered whale population.
August 16, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
Top of whale seen from a vessel Eastern North Pacific Right whale MML# 84 “Cuatro” (female) in the Bering Sea in August 2017. Credit: K. Matsuoka/International Whaling Commission and NOAA Fisheries

Whale Week Highlights: A Message from Kim Damon-Randall, Director of NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources

Celebrate Whale Week 2024 with us! This week, we’re spotlighting large whale species, climate change, and what you can do to conserve whales.
February 12, 2024 - Leadership Message ,
National
Mother and calf humpback whales near Maui, Hawaii. Humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean swim approximately 3,000 miles from Alaska to Hawaii to spend the winter in the warmer tropical waters. Credit: Jason Moore (NOAA permit #18786) Mother and calf humpback whales near Maui, Hawaii. Humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean swim approximately 3,000 miles from Alaska to Hawaii to spend the winter in the warmer tropical waters. Credit: Jason Moore (NOAA permit #18786)

Whales on the Brink: Making Strides in Marine Mammal Research and Protection

NOAA Fisheries and partners convened an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, the discovery of the Rice’s whale, and recent advancements in marine mammal research and conservation.
February 01, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
Southeast
National
A large group of people smile in front of an ocean-themed backdrop in a museum NOAA staff stand by the new Rice’s whale exhibit (far right) in Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Paul Hillman

2023 Recap: Our Most Popular Marine Stories, Podcasts, Photos, and Videos

To wrap up the year, check out the most popular stories, photos, videos, and podcasts of 2023.
December 15, 2023 - Feature Story ,
National
Multiple schools of colorful fish blanket a coral reef. Fish community on a reef offshore of Baker Island, a remote equatorial island. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jeff Milisen

Recent Sightings of Highly Endangered Eastern North Pacific Right Whales Raise Hope for Recovery

Four whales were spotted from the critically endangered population—at least one is new to researchers.
November 14, 2023 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
Whale swimming in the ocean. A previously unidentified eastern North Pacific right whale spotted in September 2023. Credit: NOAA Fisheries and International Whaling Commission/ Bernardo Alps, WildSea Inc.

NOAA Fisheries to Revise Critical Habitat for Right Whales in Alaska

Agency announces a finding on a petition requesting expansion of North Pacific right whale critical habitat.
September 26, 2023 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
North Pacific Right Whale North Pacific Right Whale

Women Who Help Entangled Whales

Large whale entanglement has been a predominantly male field, but a growing cadre of experienced and skilled women has strengthened and diversified the response teams.
July 10, 2023 - Feature Story ,
West Coast
Kathi George aboard an inflatable boat tossing a hook into the water. Kathi George participating in whale disentanglement training. Credit: Bill Hunnewell/The Marine Mammal Center

The Endangered Species Act: 50 Years of Conserving Species

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act by learning more about NOAA's work to conserve endangered species and their habitats.
May 19, 2023 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act with smalltooth sawfish, green turtle, Atlantic salmon, staghorn, North Atlantic right whale, and Tubastraea floreana