Whale Super-Groups Signal a Bold Humpback Comeback

Two December 2025 days off South Africa yielded the highest ever counts of humpback whales: 304 on the second day and 208 on the first, with 372 individuals identified overall (some duplicates), signaling a pronounced recovery since near-extinction from 20th-century whaling. Sightings of 'super-groups'—20+ whales within five body-lengths—are rising as populations rebound, though scientists aren’t sure why (more prey, expanded ranges, or previously undocumented behavior). The sightings are tracked via Happywhale’s AI photo-ID database, which helps monitor health and migration even as threats like entanglement, ship strikes, and warming seas remain.