... to kill. Today, most whale species still struggle to recover from the depletions to their numbers caused by whaling, even now that few countries still kill whales. Their numbers will probably slowly recover, but only with continued protection. Endangered Whales of the World The mammalian order Cetacean contains more than 70 species of whales and dolphins. Most have been affected by human activities to some extent, and several have experienced profound population declines in the last century. But which are endangered? This subject is often a source of confusion. Whalers targeted the great whales. Most species of baleen whales (Mysticeti) have been severely depleted. Their current status is due largely to commercial whaling, which took place during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Of the 11 species, nine currently have population estimates far below pre-whaling numbers. Recent population estimates for the blue and right whales total a small fraction of their numbers just over ...

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