Culture of the Sea

Whales and dolphins strut their social stuff for scientists

Carrying a harbor seal carcass after a successful hunting foray, a transient killer whale cruises through the Pacific Ocean near Canada. Robin W. Baird

A dolphin mother nurses her calf in Shark Bay, Australia. Calves there nurse for 3 to 6 years. Janet Mann

Like her mother, a 14-year-old female dolphin at Shark Bay carries a sponge, apparently while foraging for food.