Happy 2024! We are kicking the year off with a journal club (that you may have already heard if you are a patron of ours) on the paper “Harassment and killing of porpoises (“phocoenacide”) by fish-eating Southern Resident killer Whales (Orcinus orca)” by Giles et al, plus a handful of clips from our friends! Content […]

Welcome back to the Whale Tales Podcast! Today we are joined by Olivia Brodhurst and Crystal Lacey to talk all about the Whitsundays and the East Australian Humpbacks you can find there! Show Notes: Whales of the Whitsundays: https://www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/blog/whales-in-the-whitsundays/ Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: https://www2.gbrmpa.gov.au/learn/animals/whales-and-dolphins World Cetacean Alliance: https://worldcetaceanalliance.org/ Whitsundays Whale Heritage Area Candidacy: […]

For this months episode of the Whale Tales Podcast we talked to Emily Cunningham, marine biologist and conservationist  about her research, Humpback community science in the UK and so many other things – it was amazing and we are so excited to share it with you! Show Notes: -Emily’s Website: https://emilycunningham.co.uk/ -Motion for the Ocean: […]

We are joined by returning guest Ashley Keegan this month to hear all about the whale watching season in the Salish Sea this year! Show Notes: –Ashley’s Stories

Journal Club is back! And so are these little guys – who are everywhere apparently – we are talking about Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish Sea by Dave Anderson et al. Show Notes –Full paper –Back on the Water with Grey Whales. –Diving behaviour in Harbour Porpoises –Tea Bag Ghosts (video)

Welcome back to another episode of the Whale Tales Podcast! Following up on our Cetacean teeth episode we are taking a look at the other set of cetaceans – The Baleen Whales! Show Notes: -The Naming of Things: The Disorder of the Order of Whale Names: https://whale-tales.org/the-naming-of-things-the-order-of-whale-names/ –A Summer in Húsavík, the European capital of […]

Surprise! We are popping into your feeds today to help celebrate the second ever #WorldKrillDay with a special episode all about those lil guys who have a big impact – krill! Specifically today, Antarctic krill. 🦐 Join us and our incredible guests as we learn all about krill and the super important role they play […]

Welcome back to another episode of the Whale Tales Podcast! This month we are talking all things Odontocetes -or rather the chompers that gave these Toothed Whales their name! 🦷 Show Notes: -The Naming of Things: The Disorder of the Order of Whale Names: https://whale-tales.org/the-naming-of-things-the-order-of-whale-names/ -The Naming of Things: The Ginkgo Toothed Whale: https://whale-tales.org/the-naming-of-things-ginkgo-toothed-beaked-whale/ -Development […]

Just in case our Orca Action Month mini eps weren’t special enough for you we have an extra special super fun episode today (maybe our fav of all time?) – that’s right it’s Oops All Stories! 😆🎉 The Stories: -An Evening Encounter with Type B Gerlache Orcas in Antarctica: https://whale-tales.org/an-evening-encounter-with-type-b-gerlache-orcas-in-antarctica-3-1-23/ -Christmas Eve Orcas: https://whale-tales.org/christmas-eve-orcas-24-12-22/ -Incredible […]

We are back, celebrating Orca Action Month with a short episode this week discussing the Galapagos Orca community.

It’s Orca Action Month! We are celebrating Killer Whales this month with a mini episode each week looking at specific orca ecotypes or communities – this week we are discussing Norwegian and Icelandic Orcas! Show Notes: -Norwegian Orca Catalogue: https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/The_Norwegian_Orca_ID-Catalogue_2016_Version_2_/4205226/4 -Icelandic Orca Catalogue: http://orcaguardians.org/orca-id-catalogues/ -Krisztina’s Whale Tales: https://whale-tales.org/category/storytellers/krisztina/ -Judith’s Whale Tales: https://whale-tales.org/category/storytellers/judith/

Happy Orca Action Month! We are celebrating all month long on the Whale Tales Podcast by discussing different ecotypes each week and we are kicking things off with the West Coast Community in Scotland Show Notes: -The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust: https://hwdt.org/ -“Dopey Dick”: https://hwdt.org/news/2016/4/1/famous-killer-whale-from-1977-dopey-dick-never-left-the-neighborhood

Journal club is back! We are talking about the new paper “Type D” killer whale genomes reveal long-term small population size and low genetic diversity from Dr. Andrew Foote et al. Show Notes: Read the full paper! https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/114/2/94/7086686 More about Dr. Foote https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7384-1634

We are back with Episode 50 of the Whale Tales Podcast! And to celebrate we are talking all things cetacean vocalizations. Show Notes: -Singing Humpbacks: https://whale-tales.org/singing-humpbacks-2-22/ -Specialized Sounds in Cetacean Communications: https://dosits.org/animals/advanced-topics-animals/specialized-sounds-in-cetacean-communication/

It’s Dolphin Awareness Month🐬🐬🐬 We are celebrating with a Dolphin Fun Flipper Fact off! Show Notes: -Dynamics of the Aerial Maneuvers of Spinner: https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/209/4/590/16484/Dynamics-of-the-aerial-maneuvers-of-spinner -Behavior of dusky dolphins foraging on the deep‐scattering layer in Kaikoura Canyon, New Zealand: https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.4780714 -Lords of the Rings: Mud ring feeding by bottlenose dolphins in a Caribbean estuary revealed from […]

We’ve got another mailbag episode answering questions that were asked by you! Show Notes: -Dorsal Fins: https://baleinesendirect.org/en/dorsal-fins-from-killer-whales-to-narwhals/ -Environmental Impacts of Covid-19: https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/the-long-term-environmental-implications-of-covid-19-4b7a9937/ -Episode 028 – Fin Whales: https://whale-tales.org/podcast/episode-028-fin-whales/ -Structure of the cerebral cortex of the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Balaenopteridae) – Patrick R. Hof: https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ar.20407 -Marine Mammal Encyclopedia: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123735539000389 -Postmortem Neuroimaging of Cetacean […]

Get out your bulletin board and your string, this month we are talking about the very confusing Sei/Bryde’s/Omura’s/Eden’s/Rice’s Whales! Show Notes: -How the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s Whale became the Rice’s Whale: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/marine-mammal-protection/how-gulf-mexico-brydes-whale-became-rices-whale -A Surprise Season of Sei Whales! https://whale-tales.org/a-surprise-season-of-sei-whales-2022/https://whale-tales.org/a-surprise-season-of-sei-whales-2022/

This month we are headed back up to the Arctic to talk about the longest living mammal, the Bowhead Whale! Show Notes: –The Bowhead Whale: Balaena Mysticetus: Biology and Human Interactions, Editors: J.C. George, J.G.M. Thewissen –The Naming of Things: Bowhead Whales –‘Twas the Night Before Dolphins

Very exciting nerdy episode this month! We are talking to Judith Scott about her lifetime of whale watching adventures and talking a deep dive into all things Icelandic Orcas! Show Notes: -Judith’s stories: https://whale-tales.org/category/storytellers/judith/ -Laki Tours: https://lakitours.com/ -We are all Whalers by Michael Moore: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57331837 -Icelandic Orca Project: https://www.icelandic-orcas.com/ -Orca Guardians: Orca ID: https://orcaguardians.org/orca-id-catalogues/ -Join […]

We are joined by returning guest Ashley Keegan this month to hear all about the whale watching season in the Salish Sea this year! Show Notes: –A Rare Visit from Risso’s Dolphins –Ashley’s Stories –SlomowaterAK on Instagram –Harbour Porpoises just Outside of English Bay –T065A5 “Indy’s” Adventures -Join us on Patreon for an extra Whale […]

We are joined this month by Storyteller and long time friend of Whale Tales, Marcie Callewaert to discuss her 10+ years in whale watching off the coast of BC! –Read all of Marcie’s Whale Tales –Southern Resident’s wearing salmon hats

Journal club is back! This month we are discussing the paper Extracting foraging behavior from passive acoustic monitoring data to better understand harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) foraging habitat use by Nicole R. E. Todd, Mark Jessopp, Emer Rogan, Ailbhe S. Kavanagh, published in June 2022 Show Notes: –the full paper –Nicole Todd on Twitter -A […]

We are back with an on the nose episode – it’s all about rostrums! Show Notes: -Evolutionary Steps for Blowholes on Whales and Dolphins: https://www.quora.com/What-were-the-evolutionary-steps-for-the-blowhole-on-whales-and-dolphins -Review of Cetacean Noses: https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.23034 -The Naming of Blackfish: https://whale-tales.org/the-naming-of-things-blackfish/ -Northern Bottlenose Whales in Nova Scotia: https://whale-tales.org/northern-bottlenose-whales-in-nova-scotia—july-2021/

It’s the last week of Orca Awareness Month! We are celebrating Killer Whales this month by releasing mini episodes each week about the ecotypes off the coast of BC. Last but certainly not least: the Southern Resident Killer Whales! Show Notes: –Be Whale Wise -See a Blow Go Slow –Southern Resident Whale Tales –2022 Measures […]

It’s Orca Awareness Month! We are celebrating Killer Whales this month by releasing mini episodes each week about the ecotypes off the coast of BC. Next up: Northern Resident Killer Whales! Show Notes: –Northern Resident Whale Tales

It’s Orca Awareness Month! We are celebrating Killer Whales this month by releasing mini episodes each week about the ecotypes off the coast of BC. Next up: Bigg’s Killer Whales! Show Notes: –Bigg’s Killer Whale Whale Tales –April Starts off with a Bang –Incredible Encounter with the T123’s and T124A’s –Epic Day with the T36A’s […]

Welcome to Orca Awareness Month 2022! We are celebrating Killer Whales this month by releasing mini episodes each week about the ecotypes off the coast of BC. First up: Offshore Killer Whales! Show Notes: Whale Tales Merch

We are back and are (finally!) talking about Dwarf and Pygmy Sperm Whales! Show Notes: –Cascadia Research in Hawaii –The First Time I Saw a Sperm Whale

We are back and are answering kids cetacean questions! Show Notes: –The Naming of Things: Whale –8 year old discovered whale poop

We are celebrating Dolphin Awareness Month with our first ever journal club discussing the paper Decades-long social memory in bottlenose dolphin” by Jason N. Bruck Show Notes: –The full paper –Jason’s website –Individualized Whistle Contours in Bottlenose Dolphins –My First Trip with Wild Dolphins

We are celebrating the Olympics this month with our first ever Whale Olympics! –Dolphin Olympics, Episode 12 -Deepest Diving Mammals –Humpbacks Bubble Net Feeding –Arctic Whales in Greenland –Vote for Miss Congeniality!

We are back! We are starting off the new year with a mailbag episode-filled with questions submitted by you! Show Notes –Follow the new Whale Tales Instagram account –A Banner Year for the Salish Sea -Signature Whistles in Cetaceans –James Bartley –Photographer in the mouth of a Bryde’s Whales –Killer Whale Interactions with other Marine […]

We are joined with the amazing Caitlin Birdsall to talk about the magic of community/citizen science especially when it comes to cetaceans! -Do our Seventh Anniversary Survey –Marine Education and Research Society –Whale Report app -BC Cetaceans Sighting Network –Cetaceans Sightings Networks across the world –Northern Resident’s at a Rubbing Beach

We are joined by special guest Ashley Keegan this month to hear all about the whale watching season in the Salish Sea this year! Show Notes: –Whale Watching Guidelines –Sustainable Halloween Candy –Halloween Waste Recycling in BC

We are back with a porpoise this month😂 You guessed it-we are talking all about those tiny cetaceans-porpoises! Show Notes –Why it might not be too late for the Vaquita –Porpoises are most closely related to Belugas and Narwhals than Dolphins –An Incredible Encounter with Dolphins and Porpoises –Porpoise Conservation Society –Ocean Wise Seafood

We dive way back in time this episode to explore Cetacean Evolution! Show Notes –From Land to Water: the Origin of Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises | Evolution: Education and Outreach | Full Text (biomedcentral.com) –The Evolutionary History of Whales – Cetacean Evolution Part 1 – YouTube –The Walking Whales (from Land to Water in Eight […]

We are back and talking all things Fin Whales this month! Show Notes -Fin Whales in the St. Lawrence https://www.rorqual.com/downloads/fin-whale-survival-pdf.pdf -Australian destroyer with two dead Fin Whales on its’ bow https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/12/australia/australia-destroyer-whales-san-diego-intl-hnk-scli-ml/index.html -Fin Whale songs used for Seismic surveys https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6530/731.abstract -The Fin Whale Project https://www.edmaktub.org/en/fin-whale-project/ –An Amazing Fin Whale Encounter

We are back, once again celebrating Orca Awareness Month with a very special guest, Krisztina Balotay, who is here to tell us all about Norwegian Killer Whales! Show Notes: -Krisztina’s Whale Tales –Norwegian Orca Survey –Orca Channel

Happy Orca Awareness Month! We are back with another Orca filled episode, answering questions asked by YOU! Show Notes: -Biggs Killer Whale ID Catalogue –Northern Resident Killer Whale ID Catalogue –DNA Research between Biggs and Residents –Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennards Dissertation –Killer Whale Teeth -Marine Mammal Response Groups USA –Marine Mammal Response Groups Canada –Marine Mammal […]

We are back and talking all about Beaked Whales! Show Notes –Beaked Whales –The Cut ranks 38 whale species –Blainsville Beaked Whales –A Marine Life Bonanza!

We are joined by another amazing guest this episode-Ted Cheeseman, the CEO and Co-Founder of Happywhale! Show Notes –Happywhale, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

We are back to celebrate all things dolphin in this Dolphin Awareness Month Episode! Show Notes: –Indus and Ganges Ricer Dolphins are two separate species –Risso’s Dolphin –Hector’s Dolphin –Peale’s Dolphin –Fraser’s Dolphin –Commerson’s Dolphin –Heaviside’s Dolphin –Rough Toothed Dolphin –Patches! –Dolphin Stampede!

To celebrate World Whale Day and our everlasting love for whales (and dolphins and porpoises) we asked YOU for questions about cetaceans for our third mailbag episode! HUGE thank you to all who sent in questions! If yours was not answered, never fear, we have plans to do more mailbag episodes in the future so […]

Happy February Storytellers! We are back with a shorter ep (in preparation of our Second Annual Mailbag coming out later this month!) and it’s a bit musical and a bit explicit but still full of fun cetacean facts! Show Notes: –Grey Whale Mating Video –Grey Whale Sex Life –OceanWise, Seafood Watch –Epic Day with the […]

We are back for 2021! To celebrate the new year we discuss some new discoveries in cetacean research and some exciting updates from whale tales itself! Show Notes -New Blue Whale Species articles here and here -New Beaked Whale Species articles here and here –New Baleen Whale Species confirmation –Comparative Spine Anatomy –Vertebral osteology –My […]

We are joined this episode by a very exciting and special guest-Dr. Valeria Vergara, Beluga researcher extraordinaire! The contact call audio and the clip of a child calling in a busy playground are both copyright Dr. Valeria Vergara, Ocean Wise, and are shared here with her permission. Show Notes: –Drone footage of Beluga Whale contact […]

This month we are going BIG and talking all about Blue Whales! Show Notes –Cetacean Energetics –Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) research –Song Changes in South Pacific –App for Ships to help avoid strikes –Judith’s Whale Tales

We are back this month with a look at River Dolphins! A grouping that seems self explanatory (spoiler: it is not!) Show Notes: –River Dolphins  –False Killer Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin relationship study  –Kayaking with River Dolphins! 

We are back this month with a deep dive into the largest toothed whale species-the Sperm Whale! Show Notes -The Naming of Things: Sperm Whale, Blackfish -Sperm Whale Tales in BC: Skylar, Gary –Sperm Whale head  –Sperm Whales sleeping vertically –Request a Mail In Ballot for the BC Provincial Election –How to Vote in Every […]

We are joined by a very special guest this episode-Ashley Keegan, one of our first ever Storytellers! She talks about what it is like being on the water during the COVID-19 pandemic, shares some fun facts and of course some incredible whale tales! Show Notes: –Backyard Whale Watching –Ashley’s Stories -Whale Watching Regulations and Guidelines […]

We are back this month discussing Biomimicry -what is that? Better listen to find out! Show Notes: –Examples of Biomimicry –Sonar –Wind Turbines Using Tubercles for Efficiency  –BC Whales Catalogue  –Humpbacks of the North Coast –Alaska Humpbacks -SPLASH report, catalogue –Happywhale  –Hooray for Monterey 

We are celebrating Orca Awareness Month this episode (still! again! more!) with a look at the history of researching these animals and how we got to learn so much about them. Show Notes: –What You Can Do –Dr. Michael Bigg –Current Cetacean and Turtle Research in BC –Orca Drone Research –Data Tags with Cameras –Rubbing […]

Happy Orca Awareness Month! We’re celebrating with an extra podcast this month, featuring answers to orca related questions asked by YOU. Huge thank you to all who sent in questions! 🙂 Show Notes: –Marine Mammal Speciation –Mitochondrial DNA in Antarctic Killer Whales –Mitochondrial DNA in Killer Whales –Killer Whale Ecotypes  –Killer Whales Hunt a Tiger […]

We are back with an episode full of deep dives into Cetacean (namely Baleen Whales) feeding tactics! Lots of links this ep! Show Notes: –Feeding Strategies and Tactics –Grey Whale Suction Filter Feeding Video –How Baleen Whales Feed: The Biomechanics of Engulfment And Filtration –Blue Whale Lunge Feeding Video –Trap Feeding –Beaked Whale Stomachs –Looking […]

It’s the Whale Tales Podcast One Year Anniversary! We celebrate this episode and take a look back at how we came together as bffs and cetacean lovers 🙂 Be warned: we are all quarantined at home so we miss each other and there are feeeeeeeeelings ❤ Show Notes: –Ben’s Story -Follow Ben on Instagram   

Happy Dolphin Awareness Month Everyone! There are just too many dolphin species to cover in one episode so instead we launched the first ever Dolphin Olympics! Show Notes –What You Can Do –So Many Dolphin Species –Help Maui’s Dolphins –An Absolutely Stunning Dolphin Encounter!

Things get a little racy this episode as we take a deep dive into the sexual behaviour of cetaceans! Show Notes: –What You Can Do –How to Tell Female and Male Cetaceans apart -Dara Orbach papers: Dolphin Clitoris , Everything You Wanted to Know About Cetacean Sex, Vagina Shape in Cetaceans –Getting to Know Whale Vaginas […]

Happy World Whale Day! To celebrate our everlasting love for whales (and dolphins and porpoises) we asked YOU for questions about cetaceans for our first ever mailbag episode! HUGE thank you to all who sent in questions! If yours was not answered, never fear, we have plans to do more mailbag episodes in the future […]

Episode 10 is here! Join us as we take a deep dive into some of the odder looking members of the whale family-Narwhals! Show Notes: –What You Can Do –Underdone Comics –Narwhal “Tusk” Mystery –Drone footage of Narwhals –London Attack, Narwhal “Tusk” –A Rare Baird’s Beaked Whale Sighting!  

Welcome to Episode Nine! This month we spread a little holiday cheer and talk about one of our favourite whale species-Beluga Whales Show Notes: –What You Can Do –Beluga Facts –Fun Facts about Belugas –Cool Beluga Facts –Amazing Encounter with Beluga Whales

This month we host our first ever guest – Derek Jang of the Porpoise Conversation Society! Show Notes: –What You Can Do –Porpoise Conversation Society –Vaquita Information  

Welcome to Episode 7! There may be only one day of October left but we are in full Spooktober mood this ep with discussion on whale falls and whale graveyards! Plus we say “spooooooooky” eleventy million times. Enjoy! Show Notes –What You Can Do –Nautilis Whale Fall Discovery –BBC Whale Fall –How Whale Falls Work […]

Welcome to episode 6! This week we celebrate the changing seasons and discuss cetacean migrations. Plus we feature another guest, Selena, who shares her encounters with T019B “Galiano” Show Notes: –What You Can Do –Butterfly migration video –Grey Whale Migration shifts a week –Analyzing ancient whale migration –Animal Migration –The Greatest Migration of a Humpback […]

Join us this episode for a report of the summer here in BC featuring stories about everyone’s favourite little grey whale – T46B1B “Tl’uk”! Show Notes (there are lots this week!): –What You Can Do –Animals in Distress –Ashley Keegan’s Whale Tales –DFO Marine Megafauna Survey –Grey Whales Unusual Mortality Event –Southern Resident Killer Whales […]

Welcome to episode four – our deep dive into Humpback Whales! Show Notes: –What You Can Do –Nature Finds a Way Star Trek IV: A Voyage Home –Plastic Free July Blogs – tips, tricks and suggestions to reduce your plastic use –How Humpback Whales Sing –Western and Eastern Australian Humpbacks sharing songs, more here –Humpback […]

We are back with this killer of an episode to celebrate Orca Awareness Month! Show Notes: –What You Can Do –Orca Awareness Month –Plastic Free July –Plastic Free July Blog Posts –Killer Whale Ecotypes –Killer Whale Ecotypes Poster –Killer Whales in Patagonia –The A30s in Johnstone Strait

We are back with this Mother of an episode-celebrating cetacean parenting techniques, some, kind of crazy, Fun Flipper Facts and a story about one very famous celebrity whale. Show Notes: –What You Can Do –Be Whale Wise –See a Blow Go Slow –New Whale Watching Regulations for BC –Happywhale –Big Mama in the Straight of […]

Welcome to Episode One! We are super excited to share our podcast with you and we wanted to start off with introductions! Plus some Fun Flipper Facts and of course, stories! Show Notes: –Save the Vaquita Porpoise –What You Can Do to Help Cetaceans and Marine Wildlife –Saturna Island Killer Whales –Another Orca Encounter from […]

A living library of cetacean stories – now in podcast form! Bringing you stories, news, fun facts, and more about whales, dolphins and porpoises.