Sharing is caring, an intersex southern right whale, and killer dolphin 'Jack the Flipper'
Big Blue Bulletin #58
Welcome to the latest edition of the Big Blue Bulletin – things have changed just a little bit around here as featured stories will now focus on whales, dolphins, and porpoises, with a little bit of commentary from me thrown in as well. Still, you can expect good news, bad news, and a cute creature in your inbox every Friday.
Let’s dive in 🐬
Ocean news
🗞️ Big news of the week -
🍕 Killer whales sharing food with humans for first time in groundbreaking study
A new study has recorded 34 occasions, spanning two decades and four oceans, where killer whales brought fish or marine mammals to people in the water, on boats or even on shore. In 11 of those cases the humans were swimming; in the rest they were on deck or land, yet the whales still nudged or dropped prey within reach, sometimes persisting after the first polite refusal. Food-sharing is well known between orcas as a way to bond, so scientists think these offers show a deliberate attempt to strike up social ties with us too. It’s the first evidence of a wild predator using its catch to probe human behaviour—and a reminder that orcas may be studying us every bit as closely as we study them.
🧬 To discover the world’s first intersex southern right whale, the third test was the charm
Re-examining a 1989 skin sample from Argentina’s Valdés Peninsula, Canadian researcher Carla Crossman found that whale “Eau10b” carries two X chromosomes and a Y—an XXY genotype. The discovery, confirmed after three separate DNA tests in 2022, marks the first recorded case of an intersex southern right whale and highlights the hidden complexity in tracking whale population health.
☠️ Exact location killer dolphin was last spotted off UK coast after slaying a shark
Anakin, a solitary adult bottlenose dolphin, has alarmed researchers after two violent encounters—killing a juvenile common dolphin and throwing a smooth-hound shark from the water last week. First reported by local tour operators, the incidents are highly unusual and may reflect rising stress or competition in the area. Anakin is now being tracked by monitoring teams, who are urging boats to keep a safe distance.
🏞️ Rescuers save 27 stranded pink dolphins stranded away from Grande River
Rescuers in Bolivia have saved 27 pink river dolphins found stranded far from the main channel of the Grande River. The group had become trapped in disconnected pools, likely due to falling water levels, and were safely returned to deeper waters by a coordinated team of vets, biologists, and local authorities.
🏝️ Around 100 marine mammals washed up on the Belgian coast in 2024
Belgium recorded 109 marine mammal strandings last year, including 36 harbour porpoises, 72 seals, and a young minke whale, according to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Porpoise strandings continue to decline, with 2024 marking the second lowest total in over two decades—but the reasons remain unclear. Seal deaths, by contrast, were unusually high and likely linked to growing populations nearby. One lone minke calf found in Ostend is thought to have died from starvation after becoming separated from its mother.
Have a great weekend! 📸
Video by @henryspointofview on Instagram via @paditv.
Cover image by Jam Press/Sarah Michelle Wyer.
It would be spine-tingling to learn fellow creatures are trying to figure out what is the problem with those bloody humans! Maybe the orcas can do it! (We sure haven’t figured it out)