logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
35m 48s

The Humpback and the Killer

Wnyc Studios
About this episode
Killer whales — orcas — eat all sorts of animals, including humpback calves. But one day, biologists saw a group of humpback whales trying to stop some killer whales from eating… a seal. And then it happened again. And again. It turns out, all across the oceans, humpback whales are swimming around stopping killer whales from hunting all kinds of animals — fr ... Show More
Up next
Nov 21
Our Common Nature: West Virginia Coal
<p>Today on the show, we’re bringing you an episode from <a href="https://link.podtrac.com/v7mx144d" target="_blank"><i>Our Common Nature</i></a> (https://link.podtrac.com/v7mx144d), a new podcast series where cellist Yo-Yo Ma and host Ana González travel around the United States ... Show More
53m 33s
Nov 14
Quantum Refuge
<p>Qasem Waleed is a 28-year-old physicist who has lived in Gaza his whole life. In 2024, he joined a chorus of Palestinians sharing videos and pictures and writing about the chaos and violence they were living through, as Israel’s military bombardment devastated their lives. But ... Show More
48m 17s
Nov 7
The Wubi Effect
<p>When we think of China today, we think of a technological superpower. From Huawei and 5G to TikTok and viral social media, China is stride for stride with the United States in the world of computing. However, China’s technological renaissance almost didn’t happen. And for one ... Show More
56m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2019
Humpback Hit Factory
There's a humpback whale song sensation that's sweeping the South Pacific. We'll learn about the burgeoning study of "whale culture"-and why these super smart cetaceans may have a lot more in common with us than we'd ever imagined. For more information on this episode visit natio ... Show More
21m 5s
Jun 2024
The Revenge of the Whales
In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in 1819, Owen Chase is standing on a slowly sinking ship. It's just been headbutted by an 85 foot whale. It's taking in water. And now the creature is coming back for another go. This is a whaling ship, and Chase is convinced that he observes " ... Show More
38m 6s
Aug 2023
Are Killer Whales Misunderstood? with Dr. Deborah Giles
Southern Resident killer whales are a lot like us. They have family meals, chat in different dialects, and sleep side by side. They even engage in an activity called sword fighting—which is exactly what it sounds like. One major difference? There are only 75 of these orcas alive ... Show More
1h 17m
Oct 2020
The Snot and the Whale
How do whales use their blowholes to breathe, and what keeps them from filling up with water? There’s no better way to find out than getting up close and personal with whales! That’s what marine mammal biologist Justine Hudson did when she collected whale snot from belugas. Snot ... Show More
16m 51s
Jul 2023
Tom Mustill, "How to Speak Whale: A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication" (Grand Central Publishing, 2022)
What if animals and humans could speak to one another? Tom Mustill—the nature documentarian who went viral when a thirty‑ton humpback whale breached onto his kayak—asks this question in his thrilling investigation into whale science and animal communication. “When a whale is in t ... Show More
53m 45s
May 2024
Whales Have an Alphabet
<p>Ever since the discovery of whale songs almost 60 years ago, scientists have been trying to decipher the lyrics.</p><p>But sperm whales don’t produce the eerie melodies sung by humpback whales,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1970/05/26/archives/whales-sing-siren-song-for-scie ... Show More
25m 27s
Jul 2020
The Canary of the Sea
Chirp. Whistle. Creak. Beluga whales, the canaries of the sea, have a lot to say. But noise from ships can drown out their calls, putting calves in danger. What happens when humans press pause during the coronavirus pandemic—and finally give ocean life some peace and quiet? For m ... Show More
20m 30s
Nov 2020
Why Do Whales Sing?
<p>In our most recent episode, we answered questions about  really big animals: whales!</p> <p>We covered a lot when it comes to these huge aquatic mammals but there was one big topic we didn't get to: and that's how whales communicate.  We'll learn more about the sounds whales ... Show More
27m 16s
Feb 2022
Dr. KATE STAFFORD on What the Whales Hear [ENCORE] /272
This week we are rebroadcasting our interview with Dr. Kate Stafford, originally aired in September of 2020. The bowhead whale can live up to 200 years old, meaning that the bowhead whales of today know and remember a world that sounded, tasted, and felt very different than the o ... Show More
1h 6m
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami