Ocean Stories

Mission Blue founder, Dr. Sylvia Earle presented the 2012 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize to Yale professor Dr. Joan A. Steitz.

Humpback whales can reach up to 60 feet (18 meters) in length and can weigh as much as 45 tons (41 metric tons). Although humpback whales are very large animals, they are known for their ability jump or breach nearly completely out of the water. Reports suggest that humpback whales can jump up to 40 feet (12 meters) in the air, falling back in the water with a powerful splash.
Did you know: Humpback whales are a favorite amongst whale watches, as they frequently perform aerial displays or slap the surface with their fins, tails or heads.
Today, humpback whales face a series of threats including entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, whale watcher harassment, habitat impacts, and proposed harvest. Research, education, monitoring, and preservation measures are all being implemented to help ensure the conservation of these massive whales.…

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In an effort to ensure more successful and effective MPAs in the future, earlier this week, representatives from over 36 countries converged in San Francisco.

It may look like this penguin bleached its tuxedo, but researchers explain that this “blonde” penguin has a genetic condition that dilutes the pigment in its feathers.

After two weeks, we’ve completed reef assessments around Rangiroa, Aratika, and Raraka and are now examining Fakarava.

It might look like this adolescent Adélie penguin is having a bad hair day, but in fact this youngster is in the middle of molting its downy coat.

Similar to the terrestrial lions that live in sub-Saharan east and southern African, these sea lions roar.

King penguins in the surf, Salisbury Plains, South Georgia Island.