“The western South Atlantic humpback population has grown from around 2,000 whales four decades ago to roughly 35,000 today, approaching or possibly matching its estimated pre-commercial whaling abundance,” notes The Doomslayer. That’s an increase of about 1650 percent.
The Associated Press reports on how more and more humpback whales are being seen off the coast of Brazil:
Sightings of humpback whales off Rio de Janeiro’s coast are surging as they recover from decimation due to commercial whaling, prompting an acceleration in the demand for whale-watching excursions to spot the huge marine creatures during their annual migration.
The species’ population has jumped from around 2,000 to around 35,000 in approximately 40 years, close to their population before whaling.
Louise Raulais, who runs the Rio Ocean Club with her partner Theo Andrade, is among those who see the tourism opportunities in the whales’ resurgence.
This year, the company began offering sailboat trips for between five and 10 people to observe the whales. Raulais said they always have a biologist onboard to share information.
Antarctic whales have also made a big comeback, resulting in large groups of whales around the South Orkney Islands.
Scientists are using artificial intelligence to save whales. Blue whales have returned to parts of the Indian Ocean, thanks to the end of Communism, which wiped out countless whales. Communist Russia slaughtered much of the world’s whales, at least 180,000 of them. It killed far more indiscriminately than other whaling nations, and unlike them, it largely wasted the whales it killed, leaving their carcasses to rot. It has been called the most senseless environmental crime of the 20th Century.
Artificial intelligence is being used to identify the trillions of viruses that live inside human beings, some of which may be beneficial. Viruses can be useful. A virus is being used to cure deafness in new gene therapy. Researchers also discovered that a plant virus could be used to save crops from root-eating pests.
