Whales are among the largest and oldest animals on Earth. They can be found in every ocean and range in size from the small dwarf sperm whale to the massive blue whale , the largest animal on the planet. Whales belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans. Marine mammals in the cetacean family include whales, dolphins, and porpoises .

Baleen is a filter-feeding system inside the mouths of baleen whales.

There are two types of cetaceans: baleen and toothed. Baleen whales, or Mysticetes,have baleen plates which sieve prey, like krill, from the water. Toothed whales, or Odontocetes, have teeth and feed on fish, squid, and other marine mammals such as seals and sea lions.

Together with our partners, we work to ensure the conservation of whales which are all protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act , and protect and recover those that are listed under the Endangered Species Act .

Species News

[画像:Two dolphins leap out of the water.] Common dolphins. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Michelle Klein
[画像:View of whale swimming in the ocean.] Collecting a biopsy skin sample from an eastern North Pacific right whale. The yellow dart will be retrieved along with a tiny skin sample. The small bump on the whale’s back is a satellite tag. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Amy Kennedy. MML permit 782-1719
[画像:A crowd of people surrounds a fin whale carcass on the shore] Late afternoon residents walk to investigate the fin whale carcass. Credit: Bridget Crokus, volunteer Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services

Multimedia

[画像:A gray whale and her calft migrate north along the California coast] A gray whale and her calf migrate north along the California coast on their way to summer feeding grounds in the Arctic. Scientists are using an unmanned aerial vehicle to produce very precise overhead images of gray whales, then analyzing the images to understand how environmental conditions affect the health of adult females and ultimately the reproductive success of the population. Credit: NOAA

Research

Peer-Reviewed Research

A Decade of Declines in Toothed Whale Densities Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

We document decadal density declines for seven of eight monitored species groups, including sperm...

Southeast
Peer-Reviewed Research

False Killer Whales and Fisheries in Hawaiian Waters: Evidence From Mouthline and Dorsal Fin Injuries Reveal Ongoing and Repeated Interactions

Results suggest that efforts to reduce bycatch and begin monitoring of fisheries that overlap the...

Pacific Islands
Peer-Reviewed Research

Population Size Estimate for North Atlantic Right Whales

Population size estimation of North Atlantic right whales from 1990-2023.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Monitoring Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales in Near Real-Time by Sound, Air, and Sea

NOAA Fisheries uses the latest technologies, such as passive acoustic monitoring, to detect endangered North Atlantic right whales in near real-time and support the species’ recovery.

New England/Mid-Atlantic
Southeast

Understanding Marine Mammal Protections

Learn how NOAA Fisheries protects all marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Pod of killer whales.