Endangered whales make comeback

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 8 (UPI) -- An unprecedented comeback by the humpback whale is raising questions about their protection under the U.S. federal Endangered Species Act.

Humpback whales were nearly hunted to extinction during the 20th century but have made impressive gains, whale experts and advocates say. But they disagree about how much protection the whales still need, the San Jose, Calif., Mercury News reported Friday.

The humpbacks probably have avoided extinction, but efforts to lessen protection for them likely will be met with resistance, said Jay Barlow, a federal marine biologist.

The International Whaling Commission estimates the worldwide humpback population to be about 50,000 -- an enormous increase from the fewer than 2,000 reported when commercial whaling was banned in 1986.

Humpback researcher John Calambokidis estimates the whale population may be increasing as much as 10 percent a year. His research is part of a study covering the Eastern Pacific from Alaskan and Russian waters to the west coast of North America as far south as Central America and west to Hawaii and Japan.