Are whales almost extinct?

Quick Answer

No, whales as a group are not almost extinct, but some species are dangerously close. Centuries of commercial whaling devastated whale populations worldwide, and while the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling allowed many species to begin recovering, others remain critically endangered. The right whale in the North Atlantic, for example, has fewer than 350 individuals remaining. Meanwhile, species like the humpback whale have rebounded significantly. The answer depends entirely on which species you’re asking about—some are thriving, while others are still fighting for survival. Learn more about the broader picture on our conservation page.

What You Need to Know

The Legacy of Commercial Whaling

The modern history of whales is inseparable from the history of whaling. Between the late 1800s and the mid-1900s, industrial-scale whaling operations killed an estimated 2 to 3 million whales. Species were hunted for their blubber, oil, baleen, and meat, with little regard for sustainable population levels.

The blue whale—the largest animal ever to live on Earth—was hit especially hard. Before commercial whaling, an estimated 225,000 to 350,000 blue whales swam the world’s oceans. Today, the global population sits at roughly 10,000 to 25,000, representing as little as 3 percent of pre-whaling numbers. While the species is not on the immediate verge of extinction, it remains classified as Endangered by the IUCN. You can learn more about their current numbers in our FAQ on how many blue whales are left.

Which Whale Species Are Closest to Extinction?

Several whale species and populations face an urgent risk of extinction today:

• North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis): With fewer than 350 individuals remaining, this is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species. Ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear continue to kill several individuals each year, outpacing the birth rate.
• North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica): The eastern population in the Bering Sea may number fewer than 50 individuals, making it one of the rarest marine mammal populations on Earth.
• Rice’s whale (Balaenoptera ricei): Only formally described as a new species in 2021, this Gulf of Mexico whale has an estimated population of fewer than 100 individuals. It is considered one of the most endangered whales alive.
• Western gray whale: This population of the gray whale numbers around 300 individuals and faces threats from oil and gas development off the coast of Russia.

These species and populations are, by any reasonable measure, close to extinction.

Which Whales Are Recovering?

Not all the news is dire. The 1986 International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling has been one of the most successful conservation interventions in history. Several species have shown remarkable recoveries:

• Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae): Once reduced to roughly 10,000 animals, the global humpback whale population has rebounded to an estimated 80,000 or more. Some populations have recovered so well that they have been removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List.
• Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis): Populations off South America, South Africa, and Australia have grown steadily, now totaling an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 individuals.
• Gray whales: The eastern North Pacific population of gray whales recovered to an estimated 25,000 to 27,000 animals before recent population fluctuations, and was actually delisted from the ESA in 1994.
• Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus): The western Arctic stock of the bowhead whale has grown from around 5,000 in the 1980s to over 16,000 today.

These success stories demonstrate that with effective protection, whale populations can bounce back—even from catastrophically low numbers.

Ongoing Threats Beyond Whaling

Even with the commercial whaling moratorium in place, whales face a range of modern threats that keep some populations in peril:

• Ship strikes: Collisions with large vessels are a leading cause of death for North Atlantic right whales and fin whales in busy shipping lanes.
• Fishing gear entanglement: Lines and nets entangle whales, causing drowning, severe injuries, and chronic stress that reduces reproductive success.
• Ocean noise pollution: Increasing underwater noise from shipping, sonar, and construction interferes with whale communication and echolocation, affecting feeding and mating behavior.
• Climate change: Warming oceans shift the distribution of prey species like krill, forcing whales to travel farther and expend more energy to find food. This is particularly concerning for species that rely on predictable feeding grounds in their habitat.
• Plastic pollution and chemical contaminants: Toxins accumulate in whale tissues over their long lifespans, potentially affecting immune function and reproduction.

It is worth noting that a few countries—including Japan, Norway, and Iceland—continue to hunt whales despite the moratorium, though the scale is far smaller than during the industrial whaling era. For more details, see our FAQ on whether whale hunting is illegal.

Key Takeaways

• Whales as a whole are not almost extinct, but several individual species and populations are critically endangered and face a real risk of disappearing.
• The North Atlantic right whale (fewer than 350 left) and Rice’s whale (fewer than 100 left) are among the most at-risk whale species on the planet.
• The 1986 IWC moratorium has been enormously successful, allowing species like humpback whales and gray whales to stage dramatic recoveries.
• Blue whale populations remain at a small fraction of their historical numbers and are still classified as Endangered. See how many blue whales are there for current estimates.
• Modern threats—including ship strikes, entanglement, climate change, and ocean noise—continue to endanger vulnerable species even in the absence of large-scale whaling.
• Whether whales ultimately survive or go extinct depends on sustained conservation action. For a broader look, visit our FAQ on are whales endangered and our guide to what whales are endangered.