The largest animal ever to have lived, the blue whale is a marvel of bone and blubber, blowhole and baleen—in immense proportions. Get up close with these graceful giants.An Egyptian desert, once an ocean, holds the secret to one of evolution’s most remarkable transformations. The origins of the marine mammal lie buried in the sands of Egypt.If the Gulf of Mexico oil spill kills just three sperm whales, the local population may be in serious risk in the long run, experts say. 

 They’re rarely seen. Even less often photographed. Bryde’s whales rocket through Pacific shallows to gorge on fish. Dive in for more.