#sandlance

[noaasanctuaries]

How about a smile for World Whale Day?

Humpback whales might not have the same pearly whites but their majestic grin still makes for a nice photo! Instead of hard teeth, the smile of a humpback whale and many others is composed of baleen, long strands of keratin design to filter tasty meals out of a big gulp of water. What do you think this whale caught in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary ?

Image Description: Humpback whale filters water with baleen in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. (NOAA)

[noaasanctuaries]

There’s a lot of buzz about whales lately!🐝

Want to stay in the loop and stay informed about our planet’s largest mammals? Check out our handy whale resource collection! Explore a collection of NOAA videos, lesson plans, posters, webinars, web stories, virtual reality, and more to gain a deeper understanding of whale species and NOAA's efforts within the sanctuary system to protect and understand them.

Explore here: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/whales/

Description: Minke whale breaches out of the water in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Photo Credit: Anne Smrcina/NOAA

[noaasanctuaries]

Listen up!🎤

Researchers under the SanctSound project are listening closely to dolphins and whales in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary . Visual observations of the varied species from the whale watch fleet provide important data for cetacean researchers during whale watching season, but these contributions fall off in the winter (November-March). Acoustic monitoring technology fills this “black hole” of whale data by recording the calls (and presence) of visiting marine mammals year-round.

Learn more about this multi-year study here: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb22/listening-closely.html

Photo: NOAA under NOAA research permit #18059

Image Description: Humpback whale fluke splashing out of the water.

[noaasanctuaries]

Great shearwaters, one of the many bird species found in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, forage for fish by plunging underwater from the air or by seizing items while swimming on the surface. These birds rely on the land lance as a major food source in the sanctuary.

(Peter Flood. Image Description: A great shearwater flying low over the surface of the water.)