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| Numbers of humpback whales around Gil Island in British Columbia, Canada, have doubled in recent years. |
Humpbacks Make a Comeback in British Columbia - Humpback whales in a region of British Columbia doubled in number between 2004 and 2011, a study finds. The Gil Island waters, a labyrinth of fjords, has been proposed as both critical habitat for the creatures and a construction site for new ports.
Prior to a whaling ban in 1966, the North Pacific humpback population fell from an estimated 15,000 individuals to 1,400; a study published in 2011 suggests numbers have rebounded to 20,000.
Researchers surveyed the Gil Island whales over eight summers, using small boats to navigate the fjords and taking photographs of humpbacks.
The team reports September 11 in PLOS ONEthat the number of humpback whales visiting the area increased from 68 to 137 individuals. The researchers argue that the boost in whale visits is reason to preserve the area.
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