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.
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
Authorized responders from the Seacoast Science Center take measurements of a dead humpback whale that stranded in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Credit: Seacoast Science Center.
A Bryde’s whale photographed in the Mariana Archipelago. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Adam Ü (NOAA Fisheries MMPA-ESA Permit #14097)
Kiaʻi Kanaloa and Hui Hoʻoleimaluō members respond to a stranded palaoa (whale), a Kogia calf, on Hawaiʻi Island. Their efforts are part of a new and developing stranding response partnership with NOAA Fisheries. Credit: Kiaʻi Kanaloa (NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359)
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
Multimedia
A small fishing vessel near wind turbines. Credit: Bob Brewer on Unsplash
A Southern Resident killer whale leaps out of the water. Credit: Candace Emmons
Research
Bryde’s Whales Produce Biotwang Calls, Which Occur Seasonally in Long-Term Acoustic Recordings From the Central and Western North Pacific
Results provide evidence for a pelagic western North Pacific population of Bryde’s whales with…
A density surface model describing the habitat of the Critically Endangered Rice’s whale Balaenoptera ricei in the Gulf of Mexico
This research characterizes habitat for endangered Rice’s whales based on oceanographic parameters…
Marine Mammal Acoustics
We record the sounds produced by marine mammals and study their behaviors, locations, population sizes, and potential threats.
Interesting Facts About North Pacific Right Whales
The right whale got its name from whalers who called it the "right" whale to hunt. Right whales made ideal prey because they swim slowly, can be close to the surface, produce a high yield of oil, and float after death. This made them easier to kill,…
Understanding Marine Mammal Protections
Learn how NOAA Fisheries protects all marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
