Researchers working in Hawai’i waters have reported the first confirmed evidence that humpback whale calves produce sounds. The purpose of the grunts and squeals recorded by the Cetos Research Organization has not been deciphered, but they could be alarm calls…

Most days, Moko the bottlenosed dolphin swims playfully with humans at a New Zealand beach. But this week, it seems, Moko found his mojo. Witnesses described Wednesday how they saw the dolphin swim up to two stranded whales and guide them to safety.

Activists who have clashed violently with Japanese whalers in Antarctic waters in recent months were headed back to port Tuesday because they were running out of fuel. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin was leaving the hunting region for this season, which is due to end in less than two weeks, the group said on its Web site.

The white killer whale spotted in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands sent researchers and the ship’s crew scrambling for their cameras. The nearly mythic creature was real after all.

MA’ALAEA, HI — A record number of whales were sighted during the 2008 Great Whale Count on Maui on Saturday, February 23, which recorded a total of 1,726 whale sightings in a three-hour period. Perfect weather conditions for whalewatching and a growing whale population are thought to be the reasons for the unprecedented number of humpback whale sightings.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper rejected President Bush’s attempt to exempt the U.S. Navy from laws protecting endangered whales. The judge noted that President Bush’s order was constitutionally suspect, leaving her injunction against sonic blasts in place. Such underwater bursts …

Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James R. “Duke” Aiona Jr. have signed a proclamation declaring February as “Humpback Whale Awareness Month” in Hawai’i, according to a news release. The goal of Humpback Whale Awareness Month is to enhance public awareness of Hawai’i’s official state marine mammal and increase public involvement in ocean stewardship.

February in Hawaii: It’s the best time to see burly NFL players on Oahu, thanks to the annual Pro Bowl. But even bigger stars can be seen all over the islands, or at least off their shores: the humpback whales.

Its widely believed the orcas are expanding their range because depleted Pacific Northwest stocks of salmon can no longer sustain them.

The National Marine Fisheries Service on Thursday released its recovery plan for Puget Sound’s endangered killer whales, aimed at lessening the threats posed to the orcas by pollution, vessel traffic and decreased availability of food. The goal is to enable the 88 whales…