Category: News

Nineteenth century commercial whaling killed the vast majority of whales, but some species are coming back, especially humpbacks. Melting Antarctic ice has led to an abundance of krill, and with all that food humpback whales are thriving with high rates of pregnancy. University of California – Santa Cruz Researcher Ari Friedlaender tells Host Steve Curwood the comeback should be celebrated as a conservation victory, but there are questions about how long the krill boom might last. Read the details

SANTA CRUZ >> High school students will get a chance this summer to shadow and assist top marine scientists, as part of a new field study program centered at the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. Students will board research boats, to identify and assist in tagging whales and place listening sensors in open water. Read the news!

In a rare piece of good news for whales, humpbacks who live and breed in the southern oceans near Antarctica appear to be making a comeback, with females in recent years having a high pregnancy rate and giving birth to more calves.

A few miles off the coast of the rapidly warming Antarctic Peninsula, scientists are getting their first-ever detailed look at one of the most mysterious mammals on the planet, minke whales.

Smaller cousins of the mammoth blue whale, the elusive minkes have remained mostly out of reach in the deep fjords of the icy Antarctic. It wasn’t until earlier this month that a team of scientists using an array of drones, suction-cap tags, and whale-mounted video cameras uncovered some basic facts about the species, such as their average size and how they moved. They discovered that minkes, long thought to be loners, are outgoing and social. They found out that minkes had spots.

Ari Friedlaender’s groundbreaking research on minke whale feeding behavior has provided critical insights that are shaping marine conservation efforts. In collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Friedlaender’s team has documented how these whales use high-speed lunges to capture prey, emphasizing their reliance on abundant krill populations. This partnership with WWF highlights the interconnectedness of marine species and underscores the need for sustainable fishing practices. The research is directly influencing policy decisions aimed at preserving ocean health and biodiversity, ensuring a balanced marine ecosystem for future generations.

Read the World Wildlife Story and watch the minke whale video.

Ari Friedlaender, a marine ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a National Geographic explorer, has been studying Antarctic humpback whales since 2001. He tracks their movements and feeding habits, discovering they engage in unexpected behaviors like deep diving and breaking ice with their blowholes. His research revealed that climate change, by reducing sea ice and extending ice-free periods, is providing more krill for the whales to eat, leading to a population boom. Friedlaender uses innovative techniques, such as attaching cameras to whales, to gain unique insights into their lives and the impact of environmental changes on their survival.

Read about his full observations in the National Geographic Magazine and learn more about climate change in the Antarctic.

From 2010 to 2016, researchers collected skin and blubber samples from 577 humpbacks using a crossbow with modified darts. By sequencing DNA, the team determined that that population included a total of 239 males and 268 females. Higher levels of the hormone progesterone in the blubber showed that an average of 63.5 percent of those females were pregnant when sampled. But the story is in how those numbers changed, not the average.