Species/Blue whale
Blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus
ENEndangered
- Range
- All oceans
- Population
- 10,000–25,000, versus 200,000+ before whaling
- Trend
- increasing
- Last assessed
- 2018
The largest animal that has ever lived. Whaling nearly ended it. Some populations are climbing; others have not returned.
A hunting ban can work. The follow-through is ships slowing down.
Threats
- Ship strikes
- Entanglement
- Ocean noise
- Climate on krill
What you can do
- Support ship-speed rules in whale habitat
Strikes are now a top threat in several oceans.