Cetacean Station @j27blackberry - Tumblr Blog

Hi folks! I am recruiting PhD students for my new lab housed within the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History at the University of Oklahoma. If you are interested in fish macroevolution, geometric morphometrics, specimen-based research & phylogenomics please reach out.

More info here: fishdiversitylab.weebly.com

Please share widely!!!

orcinusmeridionalis

Some recent dividers I've made.

Not for anything specific, I just enjoy the process of making them. If there is interest I might take some requests.

Free to use if anyone wants to. No credit is needed. But a like or reblog would be nice if you use.

#tucking this in my pocket

orcacharm

J6 Ralph with a young J27 Blackberry - 1996 (Dave Ellifrit)

#what if i frew up. what if i cried and wailed

orcacharm

J3 Merlin in 1977 (Ken Balcomb)

todropscience

KILLER WHALES CRAFT KELP TOOLS FOR SOCIAL GROOMING

In a remarkable discovery, researchers have documented wild Resident killer whale (Orcinus orca ater) manufacturing and using tools in a social context. Observed in the Salish Sea from April to July 2024, members of the endangered southern resident population were seen detaching short lengths of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) and using them during tactile interactions with a partner, a behavior the authors call allokelping. This behaviour differs from playful kelp draping commonly seen in cetaceans, whales in this study deliberately fashioned kelp segments using their teeth, positioned them between their bodies, and coordinated their movements to roll the kelp across one another’s skin.

This represents a potential case of tool-assisted allogrooming, a behaviour rarely documented in non-primates and never before in marine mammals. Statistical analyses suggest that allokelping may serve both hygienic and affiliative functions, being more common among close kin and individuals of similar age, and possibly linked to skin molting. The whales’ use of their entire bodies, rather than limbs, to manipulate the kelp, and the mutual benefit of the interaction, make this a unique form of tool use in the animal kingdom. If confirmed, it would expand our understanding of cetacean intelligence, culture, and the evolutionary roots of cooperation.

Photo: Orca grasps a bull kelp stalk by the holdfast end and detaches a short stipe segment for use in allokelping.

Reference (Open Access): Weiss et al., 2025. Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales. Current Biology.

currentsinbiology

Humpback whale songs undergo a ‘cultural revolution’ every few years

Like any fad, the songs of humpback whales don’t stick around for long. Every few years, males swap their chorus of squeaks and groans for a brand new one. Now, scientists have figured out how these “cultural revolutions” take place.

All male humpbacks in a population sing the same song, and they appear to learn new ones somewhat like people do. Males in the eastern Australian population of humpbacks, for example, pick up a new song every few years from the western Australian population at shared feeding grounds or while migrating. Over the next few years, the songs spread to all South Pacific populations.

bees-with-swords

"Do you ever dream of land?" The whale asks the tuna.

"No." Says the tuna, "Do you?"

"I have never seen it." Says the whale, "but deep in my body, I remember it."

"Why do you care," says the tuna, "if you will never see it."

"There are bones in my body built to walk through the forests and the mountains." Says the whale.

"They will disappear." Says the tuna, "one day, your body will forget the forests and the mountains."

"Maybe I don't want to forget," Says the whale, "The forests were once my home."

"I have seen the forests." Whispers the salmon, almost to itself.

"Tell me what you have seen," says the whale.

"The forests spawned me." Says the salmon. "They sent me to the ocean to grow. When I am fat with the bounty of the ocean, I will bring it home."

"Why would the forests seek the bounty of the oceans?" Asks the whale. "They have bounty of their own."

"You forget," says the salmon, "That the oceans were once their home."

hearnoweevil

Last year I finally had an excuse to illustrate this simple little Tumblr story I've had bookmarked forever for class.

I hope you like it :]

#i love every artistic interpretation of this post sm

filurig

instructional booklet for basal and listless ceteceans feeling like looking for porpoise

samimarkart

reimagining of a piece from last year 🤍

mulchmouth

Orcanize and find your pod.

havingawhaleovatime

Avoiding Extinction - by Sarah Gilman | The Hakai Magazine - Features | 20th/09/2017

Giving Mexico’s rarest porpoise, the vaquita, a fighting chance in the face of poverty, corruption & greed.

yuumei-art

I wasn't too happy with my last whale painting so I painted a new one in SAI instead of Procreate. (SAI will always be my fav art program) I want to show the stars glowing in the stomach more clearly🌟 SAI doesn't have a timelapse feature so I did a work around but the resolution is kinda low. Does anyone know a better way? The high res hours long recordings will be DMed on my Patreon on Nov5

artofsoul1999

It's been dark and rainy down here, so I thought I'd draw a piece to fit the mood. Here's one of my favorite whales, A72 Bend. I saw her on the Orcalab live cams for the first time a few years ago and have been obsessed with her ever since. Tragically, there's not many good full body reference pics of her, but hey, that won't stop me from trying to draw her. 💖

I gotta practice drawing Northern residents more often. Their lanky proportions and tiny eyepatches can be a bit tricky sometimes.