Whale
Videos
Want to encounter whales from the comfort of your own home? Dive into the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ video collection of various whale species from across the country and learn about tagging whales, ship strikes, and endangered species.
Whale Watching in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is regarded as one of the best places to whale watch in the world! Find out what species you can expect to see on your next trip in our new video!
Humpback Whales
Happy Whale Week! National marine sanctuaries are safe havens for humpback whales. Each winter, thousands of humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to mate, calve, and raise their young, while each summer, others travel to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to feed. These whales can also be spotted in many sanctuaries in between! These protected areas are spectacular places to whale watch -- but always be sure to give the whales plenty of space.
North Atlantic Right Whales
North Atlantic right whales are one of the world's most endangered ocean species. Learn what we and our partners are doing to protect them in our video.
Humpback Whales
National marine sanctuaries are safe havens for humpback whales. Each winter, thousands of humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to mate, calve, and raise their young, while each summer, others travel to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to feed. These whales can also be spotted in many sanctuaries in between! These protected areas are spectacular places to whale watch -- but always be sure to give the whales plenty of space.
Humpback Whales of Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
All November, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is celebrating the return of the whales to sanctuary waters. Learn about humpback whales who visit this special place in our Earth Is Blue video!
Tagging Humpback Whales
How do scientists in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary tag humpback whales? Very carefully! Attached temporarily with suction cups, these tags help researchers understand where whales are going and what sounds they're making.
Endangered Species
National marine sanctuaries play an important role in protecting some of America's most valuable marine ecosystems. They provide safe haven for many endangered species, such as orcas, Hawaiian monk seals, white abalone, and several types of salmon and sea turtles. Watch to learn about the actions sanctuaries are taking to save these endangered animals.
Freeing a humpback whale
A feel-good story. Check out this humpback whale breaching after being freed from entangling debris in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary!
Whale Disentanglement in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Whales can be entangled for years until someone reports the entanglement to the right responders. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary coordinates the community-based Hawaiian Islands Large Whale Entanglement Response Network. The network is part of the larger Pacific Islands Marine Mammal Response Network headed by NOAA Fisheries Service’ Pacific Islands Regional Office.
Noise in the Sanctuaries
How do scientists measure sound in national marine sanctuaries? Check out our video about a new hydrophone in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary to find out! #EarthIsBlue.
Preventing Ship Strikes
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is one of the best places in the world to see endangered blue whales. But these whales are also at risk from ship strikes. Watch our video to learn about a unique program that brought shipping companies, nonprofits, and government agencies together to solve this problem and help protect whales!
Whale Fall
What's a whale fall? Find out in our video of this whale fall found in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary!
What Does it Take to Disentangle a Whale?
Since 2002, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has received more than 100 confirmed reports of entangled humpback whales, representing at least 70 animals. So how do experts at the sanctuary disentangle these enormous animals? Very carefully, and without getting in the water.
Humpback Whale Disentanglement
Woah! As of this year, the Hawaiian islands Disentanglement Network has freed 22 whales from 9,500 feet of fishing gear in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. #EarthIsBlue #30DaysOfOcean
Stellwagen Bank and Monterey Bay
What are the best places in the nation to see marine life? According to the USA TODAY 10Best Reader's Choice Contest, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary! Check out our video to find out what makes these places so phenomenal. #EarthIsBlue
Humpback Whales
Each winter, thousands of humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to mate, calve, and raise their young. The sanctuary is a spectacular place to watch these whales!
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Recently, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and Reverb teamed up to show Guster what makes Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary so amazing. Check out our video to learn about the incredible whale watching opportunities the sanctuary's rich ecosystem supports, and how you can visit the sanctuary without even getting wet at the New England Aquarium!
Responsible Wildlife Viewing Video
Our simple guidelines for "Responsible Wildlife Viewing" were created to educate the public to prevent human/wildlife conflict while promoting positive and memorable experiences and can be used almost everywhere!
Gray Whales
Gray whales make one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, traveling about 10,000 miles round-trip and in some cases upwards of 14,000 miles. Traveling past heavily populated regions along the West Coast, gray whales are at risk of boat collisions or entanglement in fishing gear.
Meet the Orca (Killer Whale)
Marine mammals are vital to the balance of marine ecosystems and are key indicators of the overall health of the ocean. Enacted on this day in 1972, this important piece of legislation helps us protect animals like this orca in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Whale Disentanglement
Whale disentanglement is a challenging task that requires the innovative tools, unshakable teamwork, and sometimes agonizing patience. Check out this Earth Is Blue video to see a NOAA-led response team hard at work.
Stories from the Blue: Charles "Stormy" Mayo
Charles "Stormy" Mayo has spent his career studying and disentangling north Atlantic right whales in and around Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Hear this amazing sanctuary advocate's Story from the Blue in our latest video.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Whale Fall
An incredible journey to a whale fall in NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary!