Heatwaves may be driving whale decline in Pacific: study

Paris (AFP) Feb 28, 2024

The number of North Pacific humpback whales plummeted 20 percent in less than a decade, and marine heatwaves may be the main culprit, according to a study released Wednesday that spells a troubled future for the majestic sea mammals. Thanks to conservation efforts and the end of commercial whaling in 1976, the region's humpback population steadily increased until 2012. But over the last