Sightings of blue and fin whales increase in South-East Atlantic

Research led by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, revealed a recent increase in sightings of the world’s two largest whale species in the southeastern Atlantic. The research findings were published in the African Journal of Marine Science and compiled more than 60 years of confirmed sightings and strandings from Namibia and South Africa’s West Coast. The study focused on Antarctic blue whales and fin whales, both heavily targeted during the industrial whaling era.

“Our results provide important evidence that these giants of the ocean are slowly recovering from the devastating impact of 20th century commercial whaling, which pushed them to the brink of extinction,” said lead author Dr Bridget James from the Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation. “Sightings remain rare, but they are becoming more frequent than in previous decades, and with sustained protection there is reason to believe this recovery can continue.” It’s believed that between 1913 and 1978, an estimated 350 000 blue whales and 750 000 fin whales were killed – causing dramatic global population declines.