humpback whale news stories on Newser

Whale Tail Smack Knocks Out Boy, 13

Matt Cantor — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:18:05 CDT

When a humpback whale’s tail swung over a small boat in Australia, it knocked a 13-year-old boy unconscious—but he survived the onslaught, the Daily Examiner reports. “I was sitting backwards in the boat looking at Drew and the tail just whacked him and sent him flying,” said his mother....

Whales Return to NYC

Rob Quinn — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 07:54:20 CST

Whales have returned to the waters around the Big Apple in numbers not seen for at least a century, a comeback experts believe is the result of anti-hunting laws and cleaner waters. Dolphins and seals have also made triumphant returns, and one ferryboat captain estimates the numbers of marine mammals...

20% of Species Risk Extinction

Kevin Spak — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:01:39 CDT

A whopping 20% of the world’s species are on the brink of extinction, according to a new study unveiled at the UN Biodiversity Summit in Japan. The Red List of Threatened Species now includes a staggering 41% of amphibians, with the heaviest losses coming from Southeast Asia, where habitats are...

Cruise Ship Impales Whale

Rob Quinn — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:17:06 CDT

The Sapphire Princess has found a dead whale stuck to its bow for the second time in just over a year. The Coast Guard says the whale appears to be a juvenile humpback, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The cruise ship was delayed near Juneau for three hours while the...

Hawaiians Scramble to Save Entangled Whale

Rob Quinn — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:20:24 CST

Rescue teams are battling rough seas in an effort to save a young humpback whale tangled in hundreds of feet of heavy rope off the coast of Hawaii. A transmitter was attached to the rope after earlier efforts to free the whale failed, and the whale's position is being tracked...

Humpback Whales May Lose Endangered Tag

Kevin Spak — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:55:26 CST

In attempt to determine whether the humpback whales still need to be saved, the government is reviewing the marine mammals' place on the endangered species list for the first time in a decade. The results look promising: “They appear to be coming back pretty strongly in most of the places...

Bucki the Whale Escapes Baltic for Open Ocean

Harry Kimball — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:00:01 CDT

Bucki's going home, a little thinner but seemingly none the worse for wear. The humpback whale, which strayed into the Baltic Sea in July, has finally made his way back into the Atlantic Ocean, Der Spiegel reports. The whale is only the third in modern history spotted in German waters...

End of Tale for Baby Whale

Jess Kilby — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 05:55:56 CDT

A lost baby humpback whale who broke the world's heart when it nuzzled ships near Sydney was put down today with an overdose of anesthetic, reports the Australian . Experts say the calf, dubbed Colin, had no chance of surviving. The whale had been attacked by sharks and needed several months...

Baby Whale's Fate Appears Grim

Dustin Lushing — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:15:01 CDT

The humpback whale calf who mistook a yacht for its mother in the waters off Sydney is unlikely to survive the week, reports the Australian . "It has to get humpback whale milk and there is no way that that can be provided in captivity" said a government environmental official. "Unless...