How many whales live in the oceans today?
Population Estimates Species/stock Pre-whaling estimate Current estimate (1990) Blue Whale 228,000 11,700 Bowhead whale 30,000 7,800 Bryde’s whale 90,000 43,000 Fin whale 548,000 110,000 Gray whale (eastern Pacific) 20,000+ 18,000 Gray whale (western Pacific) 1,500 – 10,000 100 – 200 Gray whale (Atlantic) unknown extinct Humpback whale 115,000 10,000 Minke whale 490,000 880,000 Northern Right whale unknown 870 – 1,700 Southern Right whale 100,000+ 3,200 Sei whale 256,000 54,000 Sperm whale 2,400,000 1,950,000 Source: Congressional Records Service of the Library of Congress Top How fast can whales swim? Whales swim at different speeds depending on what they are doing. They swim faster when they are in danger than when they are not. They swim faster at the surface than in a deep dive and they swim pretty fast when they leap out of the water. Dolphins moving through the water alongside a boat have attained speeds of 39km/hour (21 knots) over short distances. Migrating whales have been rec
Population Estimates Species/stock Pre-whaling estimate Current estimate (1990) Blue Whale 228,000 11,700 Bowhead whale 30,000 7,800 Bryde’s whale 90,000 43,000 Fin whale 548,000 110,000 Gray whale (eastern Pacific) 20,000+ 18,000 Gray whale (western Pacific) 1,500 – 10,000 100 – 200 Gray whale (Atlantic) unknown extinct Humpback whale 115,000 10,000 Minke whale 490,000 880,000 Northern Right whale unknown 870 – 1,700 Southern Right whale 100,000+ 3,200 Sei whale 256,000 54,000 Sperm whale 2,400,000 1,950,000 Source: Congressional Records Service of the Library of Congress Top How fast can whales swim? Whales swim at different speeds depending on what they are doing. They swim faster when they are in danger than when they are not. They swim faster at the surface than in a deep dive and they swim pretty fast when they leap out of the water. Dolphins moving through the water alongside a boat have attained speeds of 39km/hour (21 knots) over short distances. Migrating whales have been rec
