Blue Whale Population

·    By Region

o   North Atlantic

§    Before whaling: 15,000 (Kemf & Phillips 1994) 

§    1980: A few hundred (Nowak & Paradiso 1983) 

§    1990: No more than 442 (Klinowska 1991) 

§    1994: perhaps 1000 - 2000 (Kemf & Phillips 1994) 

o   North Pacific

§    Before whaling: Perhaps 10,000 (Kemf & Phillips 1994) 

§    1980: 1700 (Nowak & Paradiso 1983) 

§    1990: 1400 - 1900 (Klinowska 1991) 

§    1994: Probably 1400 - 4000 (Kemf & Phillips 1994) 

§    1999: 1400 - 1900 (Wilson & Ruff 1999) 

o   Southern Hemisphere

§    Before whaling: Around 250,000 (Kemf & Phillips 1994) 

§    1980: About 4500 (Nowak & Paradiso 1983) 

§    1990: 660 (Klinowska 1991) 

§    1994: 460 (210 - 1000) (Kemf & Phillips 1994) 

§    1998: As few as 400 (Powell 1998) 

    The first long-term study of blue whales is being done in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Canada. The study is part of the Mingan Island Cetacean Study headed by Richard Sears. Sears and his research team have photographed and identified over 350 blue whales since 1979. They have learned that many of the same whales return to the St. Lawrence every year to feed. The research team is also studying blue whales in the Sea of Cortez, in Mexico. They have identified over 325 blues in that area.