Marine Animals
Why are walruses so chubby? Just how fat are they? The secret behind their flabby obese look
Just why do walruses look so flabby - and lumbering on land? Stuart Blackman takes a look
Japan to start killing fin whales
Five years after the country resumed commercial whaling, it has announced it will hunt vulnerable fin whales.
Critically endangered fish with red hands and 'sad toad face' returned to the wild in Tasmania
18 critically endangered red handfish have been released back into the wild after being taken into captivity to protect them from marine heatwaves.
Whales have their own alphabet, challenging the view that complex communication is unique to humans, finds new study
Researchers have used machine learning to decode sperm whale vocalisations and define a phonetic alphabet for the species.
“It’s one of those moments where you see the full circle of life on the reef." Baby orca stuns Aussie pilot
See a pilot’s-eye-view of a rare baby orca in Western Australia – it’s believed to be the first calf born in the area in three years.
'Banana pingers' are saving whales and dolphins around the world, one ping at a time. Here's how
Two brothers from Cornwall in England are using light, pulse and sound to reduce bycatch. Their AI inventions are saving the lives of thousands of whales, dolphins, sharks and turtles.
AI is being used to save pygmy seahorses and whale sharks in Papua New Guinea's Coral Triangle
Papua New Guinea’s Naomi Longa has been awarded a 2024 Whitley Award for leading an all-female team of conservationists to monitor and manage coral reefs in Kimbe Bay.
Spellbinding footage captures critically endangered whale with her baby off the New England coast
There are around 360 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet, so every calf is precious.
Venomous lionfish are invading the Mediterranean Sea. The rise of these deadly predators has scientists worried
The species’ rapid spread across the Mediterranean, including to habitats previously thought to be unsuitable, could have significant ecological impacts.
There's a flying squid? Yes some squid really can fly - Here's how and why
Can squid really fly? Yes, says David Brian Butvill, there are a few squid species that can get airborne... Here's how and why
Monstrous prehistoric salmon with teeth like warthog tusks once roamed the Pacific Ocean
Palaeontologists believe the teeth of the giant fish – which was almost three metres long – may have been used for fighting and digging nests.
Sperm whales have been seen pooing on orcas in what scientists think may be a form of 'defensive defecation'
Researchers observed orcas fleeing from sperm whale faeces – but was this ‘defensive defecation' a tactic or just a coincidence?
Giant prehistoric ichthyosaur found in UK might be largest marine reptile ever, say scientists
The ocean titan, identified as a new species of giant ichthyosaur, could have been as big as a blue whale.
Fish are mysteriously spinning in circles and dying in Florida. And scientists don't know why
Experts are getting involved to get to the bottom of the worrying phenomenon that is killing Florida's critically endangered smalltooth sawfish.
1,000 oceanic manta rays seen in the Maldives
Landmark moment as 1,000th individual oceanic manta ray is recorded in Maldivian waters. The Indian Ocean archipelago has the third largest population in the world, after Ecuador and Mexico.
Schools of fish can swim as quietly as individuals. How 'acoustic stealth' could inspire next wave of submarines
The way fish move has a significant impact on how noisy the school is, according to a new study. Engineers say the finding could lead to the development of stealthier underwater vehicles.
What is a cephalopod?
Cephalopods are an exclusively marine group comprising octopuses, cuttlefish, squids and nautiluses says Stuart Blackman
This marine worm has eyes 20 times heavier than the rest of its head. Why? Sex, apparently
The eyes of this tiny, transparent bristle worm are so big that its vision is comparable to that of octopuses and mammals. Scientists think it may have something to do with a secret language related to mating...
Weirdest sea creatures - meet 13 strange sea creatures of the deep
Have you heard of the Johnson's abyssal seadevil? Read about this strange ocean animal and more in our guide to the world's weirdest sea creatures
Astonishing deep-sea 'galaxy', underwater mountains and coral gardens discovered off the coast of Chile
The deepest photosynthesising coral in the world and 160 species – at least 50 of which are believed to be new to science – observed during a deep-sea expedition at Chile’s Salas y Gómez Ridge.
King penguin guide: species facts and where they live
Learn about the spectacular aquatic flightless bird known as the kind penguin in our expert guide, including essential species facts, diet and habitat. Plus, the mystery of the shrinking colony.
Killer whales are using dramatic hunting techniques to catch large marine animals in California
A subpopulation of transient killer whales has been recorded using specialised techniques to hunt sea lions, seals and whale calves in deep submarine canyons off the coast of California, say scientists
Mantis shrimp have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Here’s why
We reveal a fascinating insight into evolution's optical wonders
Watch: Astonishing ‘explosion of life’ coral spawning in Cambodia stuns scientists
Conservationists witness (and film) a synchronised mass coral reef spawning for the first time in Cambodian waters.