American Cetacean Society-Puget Sound Chapter

09/18/2026

A study by Pampoulie and colleagues, titled “What Do We Know About Hybrid Blue (Balaenoptera musculus) and Fin (B. physalus) Whales? A Comprehensive Review Across Ocean Basins”, was published in the journal Ecology and Evolution in May 2026.

Hybrids of blue and fin whales have been reported since the late 1800s, with whalers at that time describing caught animals that shared physical traits of both species. Over the last three decades, hybrids continued to be identified, now thanks to dedicated sightings surveys and genetic analysis from tissues of caught whales.

This study performed a review of the available information on hybrid blue–fin whale individuals, collected across the world and throughout historical records, from the oldest accounts to the latest documented individuals. A total of 46 possible hybrid whales were identified, with 17 being genetically confirmed. Notably, some of these whales were either confirmed or suspected to be second generation hybrids (hybrid whales who have at least one hybrid parent), demonstrating that hybrid blue–fin whales are not sterile, as was once thought to be the case.

Blue whale populations were decimated by industrial whaling in the past, and their numbers remain small. In the North Atlantic, there are estimates of 25 times fewer blue whales than fin whales. The large difference in abundance may be pushing blue whales to accept mating with fin whales. This may lead to a reproductive output loss for blue whales, that is, a reduction of the amount of blue whale calves being produced, in favour of hybrid calves. Such an outcome would be concerning, especially since most blue whale populations are still depleted and threatened with extinction.

Nevertheless, the authors state that the underlying causes for hybridisation remain unclear, and the occurrence of hybrids between these two distinct species is puzzling. They recommend further research, by recording and monitoring suspected hybrid individuals and collecting skin samples for genetic analysis.

Read the full paper by Pampoulie et al here: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73630

Photo credit: Lisa Conge

09/15/2026

Hundreds of dolphins die in fishing nets every year. How adding this one thing to nets s could help save them

09/15/2026

The Samish Indian Nation held a naming ceremony Sunday, Sept. 6, for the region’s latest baby Southern Resident orca whale.

09/14/2026

Every other humpback whale on Earth travels thousands of miles a year between feeding and breeding grounds. One population doesn’t.

In the Arabian Sea, a small group of humpback whales stay in the same waters year round. Image above is of a humpback whale breaching off the coast of Oman. Photo credit: Daryl McDonald.

The reason comes down to food. Warm as those waters are, seasonal monsoon winds drive one of the most productive upwelling systems on the planet, pulling nutrient rich water to the surface and keeping prey abundant all year. With everything they need in one place, these whales never had a reason to travel. Researchers estimate the population split off from its relatives roughly 70,000 years ago and genetic studies back that up. It’s the most isolated humpback population on record.

But isolation comes at a cost. Illegal whaling in the 1960s gutted their numbers and decades later, fewer than 100 individuals remain. The IUCN lists them as Endangered, but some researchers argue the real number is grim enough to warrant an even more urgent classification.

Most humpback populations worldwide have rebounded since whaling ended. This one unfortunately has not.

Had you heard of this population before? Let us know in the comments

09/13/2026

From Cindy Hansen:
Please be kind to the gray whale huggers in your life. We are not ok.
Earlier this week I attended the Range Wide Gray Whale Science Symposium in Newport, Oregon. The organizers originally thought it was going to consist of about 30 scientists sharing data, but it turned into 300 people who care deeply about gray whales. It was honestly the best symposium I have ever attended, with two full days of the latest information about gray whales from so many of my heroes whose papers I have read and who I have cited hundreds of times in comment letters and presentations. It was pretty wonderful to see the mutual admiration and respect they all have for each other even when they don’t necessarily agree. I have never taken so many notes, and I still need to absorb and process everything that was said. But while it was fascinating information that generated many thought-provoking conversations, there was also an undertone of loss and desperation – both from the whales who are trying to survive and the people who are trying to save them.
What became abundantly clear was how much we still don’t know and how these whales are continuing to surprise us every single day. I thought the scientific community knew almost everything there was to know about gray whales after decades of study and hundreds of scientific papers. But as wild animals tend to do, they are proving us wrong and continuously creating more questions than answers. How many alternate feeding areas have the whales discovered? How accurate are current population surveys? How far has the population declined in the past decade – 30%, 50%, more? Is there a disease process contributing to the decline that we haven’t found yet? There isn’t even agreement about why they migrate all the way to Baja, or most importantly, whether or not extinction is a real possibility. What is indisputable is that this species we once considered the greatest environmental success story of our time is fading before our eyes. We created a crisis we can’t possibly fix, and the gray whale has now become the poster child for climate change. According to the latest climate models, it’s only going to get worse.
Gray whales didn’t deserve this. They have given us nothing but friendship and we have betrayed them in the worst possible way. We created a world they can’t survive in unless they fundamentally change who they are as a species. If we want gray whales to remain on this planet, we have to rely on THEM to figure out how to adapt and find ways to eat alternate prey resources they weren’t made for. And they are certainly doing that, or at least attempting to, because they’re amazing, tough survivors. But at what cost?
Some believe that while it will probably look much different than it does today, the species will remain on this planet, at least in some form. And I guess I’m supposed to take comfort in that. But it’s about so much more than the survival of the species. It’s about every whale who died and every calf who wasn’t born. It’s about the loss of individuals, some of whom we have come to know and love. It’s about the loss of centuries of culture and knowledge from one of the most unique whale species on the planet – animals who are supremely adapted to an ecosystem we have now destroyed. I know I should try to have positive thoughts and feel and teach hope. And I’m sure at some point I’ll be able to pull myself back from the ledge and do just that. But what I really need right now is just to cry, grieve, and scream into the wind until I can’t possibly scream any more. We are witnessing a tragedy and the world needs to wake up, because it doesn’t end here. See less

09/12/2026

Hoping that whaling in Iceland will finally stop.

The country is one of just three that still permits commercial whaling, while its government has faced mounting pressure to ban the practice