All posts tagged: crossing

For the first time, biologists observe a humpback whale crossing the Arabian Sea

For the first time, biologists observe a humpback whale crossing the Arabian Sea

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletterđź’ˇ Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Though more commonly associated with their long migrations from Alaska to Hawaii or showing off for whale watchers off the coast of New England, a unique population of humpback whales call the Arabian Sea home. About 80 endangered Arabian Sea humpback whales (ASHWs) live off the coast of Oman, and they are believed to be the only humpbacks that do not migrate seasonally. That does not mean that they don’t get around. A study published today in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science documented their first long-distance movement across the Arabian Sea.  “The Arabian Sea provides unique conditions allowing a once-migratory species to completely change its ecology,” Suaad Al Harthi, a study co-author and the executive director of the Environment Society of Oman, …

Crossing boundaries: Aygo X Hybrid

Crossing boundaries: Aygo X Hybrid

Published by Daniella Wilson

How do you make the Toyota Aygo X (pronounced “cross”, btw) one of the nicest little cars on sale, even better to own and drive? Well, if you’re Toyota, the natural inclination is to turn it into a hybrid, and so here we are: the Toyota Aygo X Hybrid, which means that all Aygo models sold in the UK now have this pseudo-SUV chunky styling plus “self-charging” full hybrid technology as standard, like a Prius (but no heavier plug-in hybrid options for the Aygo). The result? More power, superior performance and updated, sharper looks than the outgoing model. Better still, if that were possible, this smallest car in the Toyota range has been given a mild sporty makeover in the GR Sport variant, in which I had the pleasure of scooting around for a few days. It was a lot of fun and, thanks to the significant power upgrades, much better at tackling a long motorway run than its immediate predecessor. It’s undoubtedly still primarily urban transport and, frankly, unsuitable for any family unit exceeding …

2026 could quickly become deadliest year for migrants crossing the Mediterranean

2026 could quickly become deadliest year for migrants crossing the Mediterranean

Published by Sam Flores

During a rescue operation by the Ocean Viking rescue vessel, off the coast of international waters near Libya, January 16, 2026. SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP More than 500 deaths in 40 days. From January 1 to February 10, at least 524 migrants died or went missing across all routes in the Mediterranean, swallowed up along with their makeshift vessels as they tried to reach Europe from the North African coast, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This is a chilling tally – and an unprecedented one at this point in the year since 2014, when the IOM began recording deaths at sea. The most recent known tragedy occurred on February 6: Fifty-three people died or went missing after a vessel carrying 55 migrants capsized off the Libyan coast. “This is the worst start to a year we have seen in over a decade,” an IOM spokesperson told Le Monde. “Also the deadliest.” By comparison, 219 people (out of an annual total of 1,873) lost their lives over the same period in 2025; 416 in 2016, …