Fin whales, the second largest animals in the world, were once endangered. However, the species has now recovered and is thriving more than ever. To the northeast of the Antarctic peninsula, the largest group of fin whales ever sighted was recently seen “going wild” upon encountering such an abundance of food. Since human activity—such as hunting, fishing, creating greenhouse gases, and throwing waste materials into the oceans—is normally seen as responsible for rapidly decreasing ocean populations, this was wonderful news for oceanography researchers. Scientists had feared that numbers of ocean species—as well as numbers of individuals in each species—were declining, but this fin-whale sighting shows that there may be opportunities for ocean species to rebound.
In the past, people hunted fin whales, then sold or traded their meat, reducing the whales’ population to only one percent of what it was before. Even though hunting whales was eventually banned, in the fin-whale population, the harm was already done. Now, however, fin whales seem to be making a comeback. In 2013, researchers who were studying a different species of whale accidentally stumbled across a large gathering of fin whales. After they discovered the fin whales, scientists decided to focus on studying the fin-whale recovery: they made plans to count the world’s fin-whale population and they gathered funding to protect and nurture them. Whale researchers finally returned to Antarctica for a thorough study of fin whales’ feeding grounds in 2018 and 2019. They documented one hundred groups of fin whales, several of which were large groups with as many as 150 members. Researchers discovered that fin whales can feed on many different kinds of food. In addition, unlike other whale species, fin whales are able to hunt for extended lengths of time. Not only that, but scientists also found that groups of fin whales continue to gather; this results in strengthening individual whales, helping them to live longer, healthier lives. The fin-whale population’s recovery has benefited the whole Antarctic ecosystem and food chain—and yet, researchers and scientists still aren’t sure how they—or how the fin whales themselves—accomplished this amazing feat.
In the past, people hunted fin whales, then sold or traded their meat, reducing the whales’ population to only one percent of what it was before. Even though hunting whales was eventually banned, in the fin-whale population, the harm was already done. Now, however, fin whales seem to be making a comeback. In 2013, researchers who were studying a different species of whale accidentally stumbled across a large gathering of fin whales. After they discovered the fin whales, scientists decided to focus on studying the fin-whale recovery: they made plans to count the world’s fin-whale population and they gathered funding to protect and nurture them. Whale researchers finally returned to Antarctica for a thorough study of fin whales’ feeding grounds in 2018 and 2019. They documented one hundred groups of fin whales, several of which were large groups with as many as 150 members. Researchers discovered that fin whales can feed on many different kinds of food. In addition, unlike other whale species, fin whales are able to hunt for extended lengths of time. Not only that, but scientists also found that groups of fin whales continue to gather; this results in strengthening individual whales, helping them to live longer, healthier lives. The fin-whale population’s recovery has benefited the whole Antarctic ecosystem and food chain—and yet, researchers and scientists still aren’t sure how they—or how the fin whales themselves—accomplished this amazing feat.
