Despite almost hunting these beautiful creatures to extinction, humpback whales may soon be graduating from the endangered species list, thanks to efforts that led to steady population growth.
Researchers last year found the North Pacific population had annually grown 4-7 percent, to an estimated 19,000 animals, from fewer than 1,400 before the 1960’s ban on whaling.
Now we just have to keep the countries that are still whaling from starting to hunt them again. Such good news!