1920s-1930s whaling led to the disappearance of sei whales in Argentina's Patagonian coast; now, after global commercial whaling bans, their population recovery allows for sightings.
Giant blue-grey sei whales, which vanished from Argentina's Patagonian coast a century ago due to hunting, are now making a comeback, demonstrating how species can recover when measures to protect them are in place. Whaling ships in the 1920s and 1930s contributed to the decline of these populations, but in the past 50 years, global bans on commercial whaling have helped populations of sei whales and others revive. Argentine marine biologist Mariano Coscarella explains that it took decades for the whale numbers to recover enough for sightings to resume, with the process taking over 80 years.
May 10, 2024
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