'Whale' sighted off California coast

A pod of gray whales was spotted off the coast of California on Saturday, Jan. 7. The "whales" were actually a group of marine mammals known as harmless harbor porpoises.

The porpoises were first seen near Point Loma in San Diego at around 8:30 a.m. local time by a group of whale watchers. The animals were later spotted near the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles.

Porpoises are small members of the cetacean family, which includes whales and dolphins. They can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length and weigh up to 120 pounds (54 kilograms).

Harbor porpoises are typically shy and elusive creatures that often avoid boats. However, they have been known to approach humans curiously on occasion.

Angry 'whale' disrupts Australian fishing trip

Fisherman off the coast of Australia had an unexpected and dangerous encounter with a huge humpback whale that was angry and agitated.

The group of six men had been fishing for kingfish when they noticed the whale swimming nearby. Suddenly, the whale became aggressive, breaching out of the water and slapping its tail against the surface.

The fishermen described it as an 'extremely scary' experience, and said that the whale was so big that it blocked out the sun. They quickly abandoned their catch and fled in their boat.

It is not entirely clear why the whale was so angry, but some experts believe that it could have been due to being disturbed by humans or by sonar from boats.

Whales are increasingly common in Australian waters, with more than 30,000 estimated to be living there. While most interactions between whales and humans are peaceful, this incident shows that they can be unpredictable and dangerous when angered.

Whale trapped in Arctic ice pack

A large whale became trapped in ice pack near Spitsbergen, Norway, on Saturday. Rescuers unsuccessfully tried to free the whale and it died.

The 9 meter long minke whale was first spotted by passengers of a cruise ship. It was later confirmed by researchers from the University of Tromso that the whale was dead.

Rescuers tried to use chainsaws and other equipment to free the whale, but the animal's body was too heavy for them to move. The dead whale is expected to remain where it is until the ice begins to break up in late spring or early summer.

Rare beaked whale seen close to shore in Hawaii

For the first time in 30 years, a rare beaked whale has been seen close to shore in Hawaii. The spade-toothed whale was spotted near Kauai on Monday morning by a research team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The beaked whale is so named because of its long, narrow beak which is tipped with two pairs of teeth. This species is thought to be closely related to the more common Baird's beaked whale.

It is not clear why this species is so rare, but it is thought that they may prefer deep water habitats. Very little is known about their ecology or behavior.

The sighting of this whale near Kauai is important because it may help us to learn more about this enigmatic species. Beaked whales are notoriously difficult to study as they are often shy and elusive.

The NOAA research team used a drone to capture footage of the spade-toothed whale swimming close to shore. The drone footage allowed the team to get a good look at the whale and take measurements of its size and body shape.

This footage will help the NOAA researchers to build a better picture of how this species behaves and what habitat it prefers. It may also help us to learn more about the threats that this species faces and how we can protect them.

Beluga whale released back into the wild

After rehabilitating at the Mystic Aquarium for two months, a beluga whale was released back into the wild on Thursday.

The whale, named Truman, was found stranded in Nantucket Sound in December. He was brought to the aquarium for treatment and care.

"We are thrilled to announce the successful release of our juvenile beluga whale, Truman," aquarium officials said in a statement.

Mystic Aquarium staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to rehabilitate the young whale, who is now "swimming freely and interacting with other belugas" in his natural habitat, officials said.

"The team at Mystic Aquarium would like to thank everyone who has followed and supported Truman's journey over these past few months," they said.