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In the past (pre whaling era), blue whales were extremely abundant (150,000 – 200,000 before whaling began) and found swimming in all of the major oceans of the world. However, today, it is estimated that there are now only between 1,500 – 2,500 blue whales left in existence.
Sadly, blue whales are currently classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List. However, their numbers are increasing. Some subspecies of blue whales face a larger threat and are listed as critically endangered, including Antarctic blue whales.
Like other large whales, blue whales are threatened by environmental change including habitat loss and toxics. Blue whales can also be harmed by ship strikes and by becoming entangled in fishing gear.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed blue whales as Endangered as of 2018. It continues to face numerous man-made threats such as ship strikes, pollution, ocean noise, and climate change.
Sep 28, 2023 · Today, blue whales are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The latest stock assessment reports of blue whales include data for various stocks, including areas of the North Pacific and western North Atlantic Oceans.
Twelve cetacean species are endangered: sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica), the Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor), the Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica), Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), tucuxi ...
Historically, the Blue Whale’s main threat was commercial whaling. Populations decreased drastically, prompting various international whaling bans which have helped the species recover to present day numbers.
Blue whales are federally listed as endangered. This species was once abundant, but advances in whaling technology made it easier for people to hunt them. With the rise of factory ships, blue whale populations plummeted. They are now protected internationally by a moratorium on whaling, and their numbers are rising.
Between 1900 and the mid-1960s, some 360,000 blue whales were slaughtered. They finally came under protection with the 1966 International Whaling Commission, but they've managed only a...
In a major new study, biologists have taken a stock of the number, distribution and genetic characteristics of blue whale populations around the world and found the greatest differences among the...
