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Mammals

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PHOTO Common Dolphin and Calf Toothed whales, like this common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and its calf, live in social groups called pods. The mother and calf form a pair that shares a long-term bond. Read more about to...MORE PHOTOS


	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Hawaiian Monk Seal The endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is one of hundreds of...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Florida Manatee in a Fresh Water Spring Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) swimming within a fresh water s...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Humpback Whale Breaching Breaching is a behavior seen in some baleen whales, where they launch their enti...

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					West Indian Manatee Portrait May 17, 2013 - 9:24AMWest Indian Manatees, Trichechus manatus, are found in warm, shallow coastal ecosystems along the southeastern North America and northeastern South America. They graze plants in mangrove ecosystems and seagrass beds, occasionally...

Humpback Whale in Antarctic Waters

Apr 4, 2013 - 9:22AM

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) can be found in Antarctic waters...

Harp Seal, Prince Edward Island National Park, Canada

Apr 3, 2013 - 9:04AM

Harp seals are protected in the United States by the Marine Mammal...

SPOTLIGHT


Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) The TOPP program brought together scientists from seven countries to explore the lives of large mid-water animals such as...

Walrus Rests on Ice Mar 23 2010 - 2:31pm Walruses use sea ice as platforms on which to nurse their young and launch their dives for clams and other bottom-dwellers. Each spring, walruses move northward to stay close to these perches as ice melts in the south -- but as more and more sea ice melts because of climate change, they may not...	Phoenix the North Atlantic Right Whale Video Dec 1 2009 - 2:46pm Researchers frequently track North Atlantic right whales from ships or from the air. This video of Phoenix (left) was captured in March 2009 on George’s Shoal, east of Chatham, Mass. Learn more about Phoenix in our Tale of a Whale photo essay.
Humpback Whale Breaching Aug 2 2012 - 10:51am Breaching is a behavior seen in some baleen whales, where they launch their entire body out of the water headfirst and land with a large splash.	Don't Feed Wild Dolphins Nov 24 2010 - 5:53pm A Twelve-Step group for wild animals with people-food addictions? Don’t be responsible for getting a dolphin hooked on human handouts! This cartoon satire portrays a dolphin trying to break his addiction.
Florida Manatee Dec 19 2011 - 2:33pm A Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, swims down a narrow channel into a freshwater spring late in the day.	Common Dolphin and Calf Aug 1 2012 - 12:07pm Toothed whales, like this common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and its calf, live in social groups called pods. The mother and calf form a pair that shares a long-term bond. Read more about toothed whales with our fact sheet.
Scientists Use Bioacoustics to Protect Marine Mammals Sep 20 2011 - 12:27pm In the late 1990's, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) invented the D-Tag—a radio device that can be attached by suction cups to a whale's back. Using a tiny underwater microphone, the tag records sounds that the whale makes and hears underwater. It also records depth,...	Sperm Whale, Dominica Jun 21 2011 - 12:28pm “For the past few years I have visited the island of Dominica to enjoy its beauty both above and below the surface. This photo was taken during a lucky encounter with a member of the ‘group of 7’ pod. A very young calf measuring about 25 feet long came over and played with us for well over 45...
North Atlantic Right Whale Dec 6 2009 - 10:31pm Stretching up to 16.8 meters (55 feet) long and weighing up to 62 tons (70 tons), the North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s largest animals—and one of the most endangered whales. Scientists estimate that between 300-400 individuals remain. Why so few? For generations the right whale was...	Lip Scar Caused By Fishing Gear Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am A white scar on Phoenix’s lip (at right) was caused by her entanglement with a fishing line. Learn more about the life of Phoenix, an actual North Atlantic right whale, in the Tale of a whale photo essay.
Battle with a Sperm Whale Oct 11 2012 - 9:46am An adult giant squid struggles for survival in an encounter with a sperm whale - its only known predator. The whale will probably overpower and eat the squid. More about the giant squid can be found in our Giant Squid section.	Right Whale Baleen Dec 31 2012 - 8:49am A right whale opens its mouth wide, revealing huge plates of baleen hanging from its upper jaw. There are between 200 and 270 baleen plates on each side of a right whale's upper jaw. They work like a giant sieve to catch the whale's food. Strong but flexible, baleen is made of the same substance as...
The “Right” Whale to Hunt Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Yankee Whalers: An 1856 Currier & Ives print shows whalers harpooning a right whale. More about whales can be found in our Tale of a Whale photo essay.	Ancient Sea Cow Vertebra Jun 18 2011 - 10:06am A fossil vertebra that a Smithsonian researcher's mother found while prospecting in the Gatun Formation. It's not just any vertebra, it belongs to a fossil sea cow! According to Jorge Valez-Juarbe, a graduate student at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and expert on fossil sea...
Spinner Dolphins Ogasawara Island, Tokyo, Japan Jun 21 2011 - 2:35pm “I took this photograph of spinner dolphins in calm waters off the Ogasawara Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles south of Tokyo.When the sun briefly broke through the clouds, our shadow was mirrored in the water’s surface—and for a moment we were united with the dolphins...	Crittercam Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Smithsonian squid expert Dr. Clyde Roper collaborated with National Geographic to attach this Crittercam to the head of a sperm whale, hoping to get footage of the whale’s favorite prey—giant squid. At left is the Crittercam’s inventor, Greg Marshall, of National Geographic. At right is British...