Penguins exploring remains of Grytviken whaling station

Several whale species were severely affected by the whaling industry in the Antarctic. International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established in 1948. In the 1960s blue and humpback whales were fully protected, protection that was then extended to fin and sei whales in the 1970s. In 1986 the IWC suspended all commercial whaling. Many whale populations have shown signs of recovery and have returned to Antarctic waters since then. Whales like all large animals are slow breeders, the world population of whales is still far below what it is thought to have been before human whaling activities. For blue whales for instance, the generation time is about 31 years, and the current world population is estimated at 10,00 - 25,000, this is 3 - 11% of the pre-1911 population when industrial whaling with explosive harpoons and fast catcher boats started. The remains of the whaling industry can still be seen on South Georgia Island today.

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