If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the ...

Whales of all shapes and sizes play a significant role in the health of marine ecosystems. About 50% of the air humans breathe is produced by the ocean, thanks to phytoplankton and whale waste. The ...

Whales eat a lot of food. In recent years, experts have estimated that the world’s biggest whales eat between 10 and 20 tons of food a day: the caloric equivalent of 70 to 80 thousand “Big Macs.” ...

You might not think of a sea creature as helpful in the prevention of climate change, but sperm whales have been doing their part to cool the planet by doing what most animals do best: pooping. Hosted ...

When whales migrate from their cold feeding grounds to warmer breeding waters, they carry tons of nutrients in their urine. Reading time 3 minutes In 2010, two researchers in the U.S. demonstrated ...

Scientists have discovered that whales move nutrients thousands of miles -- in their urine -- from as far as Alaska to Hawaii. These tons of nitrogen support the health of tropical ecosystems and fish ...