Conservation

Humpback Whales Bounced Back From ~450 To 25,000

We almost hunted them to extinction. We didn't.

By the NoBadNews desk · Published 2026-07-06 · Updated 2026-07-08

Have humpback whales recovered?

Western South Atlantic humpback whales have recovered from about 450 animals to roughly 25,000 — around 93% of their pre-whaling numbers — and are projected to reach 99% by 2030, per a 2019 Royal Society Open Science study (Zerbini et al.).

Commercial whaling nearly wiped them out by the 1960s. Globally, humpbacks are now listed Least Concern (IUCN, 2018), though a few groups like the Arabian Sea subpopulation are still endangered.

Source: Royal Society Open Science · Image: AI illustration of real verified news (our method).

One good thing, every week.

Good news from around the world that nobody talks about — straight to your inbox, free.

Subscribe free →

Seen good news we missed? Send it to us →