From Back from the brink of extinction, blue whales return to South Georgia by Brooks Hays.
After being nearly completely wiped out by whalers, new research suggests Antarctic blue whales have returned to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.
Researchers were able to confirm the dramatic comeback with the help of documented sightings, photographs and underwater sound recordings collected over the last three decades.
Scientists detailed the discovery in a new paper, published Thursday in the journal Endangered Species Research.
Blue whales were abundant off the coast of South Georgia, but between 1904 and 1971, the industrial whaling industry killed 42,698 whales.
Between 1998 and 2018, whaling surveys turned up only a single sighting.
However, in February, scientists documented 58 blue whale sightings and recorded dozens of blue whale calls.
Much to be done yet but a wonderful signal of nature's resilience. The fates of whales was an early part of my education as an environmentalist.
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