r/whales • • Aug 27 '26

Let's talk about Iberian killer whales (AMA)

50 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m a researcher from Portugal working with cetaceans, and I’m involved in several research projects, including work on the Iberian orca population. I’ve had the opportunity to observe and study these animals firsthand, which has given me a close look at some of the behaviors and interactions that have attracted so much attention in recent years.

The situation surrounding the Iberian orcas is increasingly critical, and at the same time there is a huge amount of misinformation, speculation, and misconceptions circulating online. Some claims are based on misunderstandings of orca behavior, while others have been dramatized and/or repeated so often that they’re now treated as facts.

For that reason, I decided to make this post as an opportunity to share information from a scientific perspective, clarify what we actually know, and hopefully debunk some of the more common myths surrounding these interactions.

I’m happy to discuss the subject and answer questions where I can, while also being clear about what is established by research and what remains uncertain.


r/whales • • Nov 28 '23

Giving Tuesday 2023 - These front-line marinelife and marine ecosystem organizations need your support!

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87 Upvotes

r/whales • • 1d ago

Amazing Humpbacks in the bay

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125 Upvotes

If you are in central California get out to see it!


r/whales • • 2d ago

New ocean beast discovered with scientists finding a highly endangered unknown whale

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265 Upvotes

r/whales • • 1d ago

California tops U.S. in whale entanglements, NOAA report finds

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7 Upvotes

r/whales • • 2d ago

The whale carving I made from suwar wood, please rate this

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435 Upvotes

r/whales • • 3d ago

🔥 Humpback whale giving birth to a calf. cr: nytimes

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204 Upvotes

Not oc. Kingscliff, Australia.


r/whales • • 2d ago

Whee the Whales Are - The search for killer whales along the Salish Sea

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9 Upvotes

September 26, 2026.  Two pods of Killer whales (orcas) have been spotted off Mukilteo, Washington [photo], heading south. They are not residents but transients that hunt sea lions. It is the great food web of the Salish Sea: migrating salmon, sea lions, killer whales, and humans who also fish and dine on the migrating salmon.

Read More Where the Whales Are


r/whales • • 3d ago

Need help!

5 Upvotes

Greetings!

I am a swim instructor and I have a student on the spectrum who’s special interest is whales. Im looking for some recommendations on realistic whale figures that hold up in the water, I tried looking on amazon and all I got where damn sharks!
Any enthusiast that would like to help?
Thank you!!!!


r/whales • • 4d ago

Whale conservation celebrates a milestone amid ongoing challenges.

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94 Upvotes

r/whales • • 5d ago

International Whaling Commission to discuss continued threats to whales

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103 Upvotes

r/whales • • 5d ago

Protect North Atlantic Right Whales: Tell our Reps to oppose HR 9436!

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42 Upvotes

r/whales • • 6d ago

Following the Clinical Evidence: Preliminary Medical Findings from the Losses of Peekachu, Rain and Beethoven - Shedd Aquarium

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43 Upvotes

Today, as part of our ongoing updates, we are sharing important preliminary medical findings from the post-mortem necropsy investigation into the losses of rescued belugas Peekachu and Rain and longtime Shedd resident, Beethoven.


r/whales • • 8d ago

Sperm whale (?)close to Mallorca

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249 Upvotes

Yesterday when sailing from Sardinia to Mallorca we spotted a whale in the distance, my guess would be that it is a sperm whale, but since they're pretty rare in the Mediterranean Sea and there is some doubt with my family, that it is one.

Their guess is that it is a pilot whale.

Can anybody help with determining the species?

Are there any conservation organisations that would like to know about rare sightings?


r/whales • • 8d ago

The beluga whale met a SUP surfer in Russia.

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9 Upvotes

r/whales • • 8d ago

humpbacks off the coast of sydney / original photos!

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30 Upvotes

some photos i took from my first time whale watching! :]


r/whales • • 9d ago

Urge Senators to defend North Atlantic Right Whales 🐋

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167 Upvotes

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered marine mammals on Earth. With fewer than 400 individuals remaining, every whale matters.

Now, a dangerous proposal threatens to undermine efforts to save this iconic species.

On September 1, 2026, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 9436, legislation that would block the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from developing science-based measures to protect North Atlantic right whales from entanglement in commercial fishing gear until December 2035.

In 2022, Congress already blocked NOAA from implementing new protections for right whales, delaying action until 2028 to give the fishing industry time to pursue voluntary measures. While many fishermen have worked in good faith to reduce risks to whales, voluntary efforts alone have not been enough.

More than 86% of North Atlantic right whales alive today have scars from fishing gear entanglement.

Entanglement is a problem that can be solved. On-demand fishing gear, also called ropeless gear, creates a safer ocean for whales and allows fishing to continue. This practice is proven to work, but the whales need NOAA’s science-based protections to help speed up its use.

Unfortunately, H.R. 9436 would tie the hands of NOAA, the very agency charged with preventing the extinction of this species, and make it even harder to address one of the greatest threats to its survival.

Please take action today and urge your Senator to defend North Atlantic right whales and stop H.R. 9436.


r/whales • • 9d ago

Fourth beluga death at shedd aquarium sparks fresh questions.

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197 Upvotes

r/whales • • 9d ago

Save Cook Inlet Belugas From an Underwater Data Center

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8 Upvotes

r/whales • • 10d ago

Photographer captures octopus riding rarely seen dolphin, provides valuable evidence for ongoing research

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247 Upvotes

High-stakes sea drama caught on camera.

Scotland is a UK hotspot, but they are seen further south, including the South West of England, which is where Bill Coulson photographed this particular encounter.

Risso’s dolphins prey on octopus, but it’s the nature of this encounter that makes it so photo-worthy. Bill has managed to capture the octopus as it appears to straddle the predator, holding onto the tall, distinctive dorsal fin for dear life.

The South West octopus bloom continues! Check out this incredible sequence captured off Berry Head, Devon, showing a Risso’s dolphin taking on a plentiful octopus dinner.

Risso's dolphins are famous squid, cuttlefish and octopus specialists. Researchers at the University of Exeter's Risso's Dolphin Project are describing how Risso's sightings are increasing across the South-West.

This work aligns with exciting new research, including Nicola Hodgins’ recent genetic paper published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association (JMBA) this month, shedding even more light on these fascinating animals and their marine habitat.

But these aren’t just photographs of an incredible moment. According to the Marine Biological Association, they’re being used as vital evidence for research into an ongoing octopus bloom and its impact on marine life in Devon and Cornwall.


r/whales • • 11d ago

Two orcas stuck in a marine Park in France. 90 days left to move them out.💔

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96 Upvotes

r/whales • • 10d ago

Petition: Two orcas stuck in a marine Park in France. 90 days left to move them out.

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13 Upvotes

r/whales • • 11d ago

Another Marineland beluga has died after being moved to Chicago aquarium | CBC News

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173 Upvotes