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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
Pocillopora grandis coral colonies serve as a welcome shelter for these butterflyfish and damselfish. Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Ari Halperin.
Gordon Chew uses a GoPro on a pole to assess the humpback entanglement while Steve Lewis carefully negotiates the full circumference of the whale. Credit: Rachel Myron, NOAA permit #18786-04
Sperm whale in Mobile Bay Thursday, Nov. 19
Research
Feature Story
20 Memorable Marine Stories, Videos, and Photos of 2020
Sharks, whales, turtles, and much more! Revisit our top features of the year below. Top 5 Feature Stories 1. 12 Shark Facts That May Surprise You Do sharks have bones or good eyesight? During Shark Week 2020, we explored shark facts that you…
Feature Story
North Slope Borough, NOAA, University of Washington and Cooperative Institute for Climate Ocean and Ecosystem Studies Scientists Collaborate to Monitor Whales in 2020 in Northern Alaska
In the Arctic, each year before daylight disappears and winter arrives, thousands of bowhead whales make their fall migration across the Beaufort Sea off northern Alaska. The timing of the migration is something Alaska Indigenous communities and…
Southwest Fisheries Science Center Stock Assessments
Population assessments are a key component of marine resource management. These assessments allow us to evaluate and report the status of managed fisheries, marine mammals, and endangered/threatened species under the authorities of the Magnuson-Stevens…
Feature Story
Collaboration and Partnerships Make Data Collection Possible in a Challenging Year for Arctic Research
Acoustic data on pollock movements between Russia and the United States. Audio recordings of whales to learn more about their migration and abundance. Data on plankton, the base of the marine food chain. A small team of scientists have been collecting…
Insight
Understanding Marine Mammal Protections
Learn how NOAA Fisheries protects all marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
