US may remove humpback whale from endangered list

The US government is considering taking the humpback whale off the endangered species list in response to data showing the population of the massive marine mammal has been steadily growing in recent decades.

Known for their acrobatic leaps from the sea and complex singing patterns, humpback whales were nearly hunted to extinction for their oil and meat by industrial-sized whaling ships well through the middle of the 20th century.

But the species has been bouncing back since an international ban on their commercial whaling in 1966.

The government is required by law to review the endangered species status of an animal or plant if it receives “significant new information”.

Public comment is being accepted until October 13 on the upcoming review.