Skip to content
All news
  • All news
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Corporates
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
  • Stranding
  • Whale watching

New government marine wildlife code to help reduce dolphin disturbance

The launch today by UK Government of new guidance on how to act responsibly around...

UK government to extend ivory ban to stop the sale of orca teeth

Following the UK ban on the import, export and dealing of elephant ivory in 2022,...

Dead whale beauty products to be sold in Japanese vending machine stores

Antarctic minke whale alongside Japanese whaling ship. Photo © Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Japanese whale hunting company,...

Arrests made following illegal whale meat smuggling from Japan to South Korea

Customs authorities in Busan, South Korea, have arrested six people for allegedly smuggling at least...

False killer whales latest species to show evidence of menopause

New research has discovered a third species of toothed whale in which the female members appear to go through a similar condition to the menopause in women, and then survive for many years long after they are no longer able to reproduce.

Known as the “postreproductive lifespan” (PRLS), this condition is found in very few species apart from humans. Evidence has already been found in orcas and short-finned pilot whales, now it has also been identified in false killer whales. All three species share certain similar characteristics in their life history, including strong bonds between mothers and their offspring, lasting through adulthood, which enables them to pass on skills and knowledge to the next generation.

Full report:
Evidence for a postreproductive phase in female false killer whales Pseudorca crassidens
Theoni Photopoulou, Ines M. Ferreira, Peter B. Best, Toshio Kasuya and Helene Marsh
Frontiers in Zoology – Published: 21 June 2017

About George Berry

George is a member of WDC's Communications team and website coordinator.