Gray Whales Still Not Recovered From 19th Century Whaling

Nearly 100,000 or more gray whales once thrived in the Pacific Ocean, greatly outnumbering today's population, a new study suggests. The sea giants, which can reach a length of 50 feet (15 meters) and tip the scales at 35 tons (32,000 kilograms), were hunted nearly to extinction by whalers in the late 19th century. By 1994, the gray whale population in the eastern north Pacific was considered "fully recovered," and the federal government removed it from the U.S. Endangered Species List. (The western north Pacific gray whale population is still struggling with just about 100 individuals remaining today.)...