Killer whale

Six whale species that live in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas have been classified as endangered after they were washed ashore due to fishing nets, currents, sickness and sonar frequency, according to a Turkish expert.

Toa, the baby orca who captured hearts after he was found stranded in New Zealand waters, has lost his fight for survival, conservationists confirmed July 24.

The killer whale, less than 2.5 meters long and believed to be four to six months old, became front-page news when he washed ashore near the capital Wellington after becoming separated from his pod nearly two weeks ago.

Wildlife rescuers in New Zealand were scrambling to keep a stranded baby orca alive July 14, as volunteers scoured waters off Wellington to find the calf's mother.

False killer whales, generally found in tropical and temperate waters of major oceans, have been spotted in northern Aegean Sea for the first time in 25 years.
Eight false killer whales floating in open sea some 6 miles away from Imbros island were recorded by a fisherman.

In a stunning photo, a wildlife photographer has captured a sea lion falling into the mouth of a humpback whale in what he calls a "once-in-a-lifetime" moment.

Ancient whales had extremely sharp predator teeth similar to lions, Australian scientists said on Aug. 30 in a discovery they believe debunks theories the mammals used their teeth to filter feed like today's gentle giants.

Something odd is going on off the shores of South Africa. Several deceased great white sharks are turning up along a stretch of coastline with their livers quite precisely removed from their carcasses; two of them were also missing their hearts.

As an apex predator perfectly suited to hunting down and devouring seals – and even other sharks – we tend to think of great whites as being on the top of the food chain. But recent events coming from the beaches of South Africa show that there is one marine creature that even great whites might want to avoid.

Marine theme-park giant SeaWorld announced on March 17 it will stop breeding orcas, also known as killer whales, and will no longer keep any of the giant sea creatures in captivity after its current generation dies.

Californian authorities on Oct. 8 agreed to allow SeaWorld San Diego to expand its orca habitat on the condition that it ceases its captive breeding program, despite calls for the whales to be released from captivity.