Tag: Dolphins

At first glance, dolphins and porpoises look similar. Taking a closer look, there are some general differences that distinguish these animals. See the common bottlenose dolphin (left) and harbor porpoise (right) pictured above.

Is It a Dolphin or a Porpoise?

5/9/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Dolphins and porpoises are both cetaceans, but they have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Learn how to recognize a dolphin vs. a porpoise. Dolphins and porpoises, along with whales, belong to a group of marine mammals called “cetaceans.” Cetacean comes from the Latin word for “large… SEE MORE

California sea lion stricken by the neurotoxin domoic acid from a harmful algal bloom in Santa Barbara County, California. Photo: Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute

Toxic Algal Bloom Affecting California Sea Lions and Dolphins

8/17/2024 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Upwelling of nutrient-laden ocean water is fueling the algal bloom which produces domoic acid, which can poison marine mammals. Strong upwelling of nutrient-laden water from the deep ocean is driving a bloom of harmful algae along the Southern California coast. It produces a toxin that can poison sea… SEE MORE

Dolphins with Elevated Mercury Levels in Florida and Georgia

6/28/2024 - By ecomagazine.com. In a study with potential implications for the oceans and human health, scientists reported elevated mercury levels in dolphins in the US Southeast, with the greatest levels found in dolphins in Florida's St. Joseph and Choctawhatchee Bays. Dolphins are considered a "sentinel species" for oceans and human health… SEE MORE

Beached Sperm Whales Norfolk by WikkiCommons.

You Can Help Save Beached Whales

9/17/2023 - By oceangrafixblog.wordpress.com About 2,000 dolphins and whales beach themselves each year, mostly resulting in death. But there is a lot you can do to help save them if you are a mariner. Locations and causes of beaching Whale beachings happen year-round, almost anywhere, and sometimes they can be very dramatic. Just a… SEE MORE

Dolphins Have an Eating Trick. How They Learn It Is More Surprising.

Environment

6/26/2020 - By Katherine J. Wu. When hunger strikes, dolphins don’t mess around. In Shark Bay, Western Australia, these swimming mammals have devised devious tactics to snare slippery prey. In one trick, dolphins chase fish into empty seashells, then chauffeur the shells to the ocean surface, where they use their beaks to… SEE MORE