Humpback whales make a comeback in Australian waters as numbers rebound

Researchers call for humpbacks to be delisted as threatened as numbers leap to 90% of pre-whaling population along west coast and 63% along east coast

Humpback whale populations have rebounded to up to 90% of pre-whaling numbers in Australian waters, and should no longer be officially considered a threatened species, new research has found.

The review of scientific research found humpback numbers off the west coast of Australia had increased at a rate of about 9% a year since 2012, and by about 10% a year on the east coast. The increase is among the highest documented in the world, the paper said, and shows no indication of diminishing.