Whales form an essential part of the ocean ecosystem, migrating thousands of kilometers annually between feeding and breeding grounds – and looking magnificent doing it. By stimulating phytoplankton growth through nutrient-rich excrement, they support the foundation of the ocean food web. They’re also critical players in carbon sequestration by promoting phytoplankton blooms that absorb atmospheric CO2, as well as through “whale falls,” when their massive bodies sink to the seafloor, locking away significant carbon for centuries.
In 2026, whales face ongoing challenges from the intensifying climate crisis. The International Whaling Commission’s 1986 moratorium significantly reduced whale hunting and allowed populations to recover, but commercial whaling continues: Norway maintains its objection to the moratorium and hunts minke whales, Iceland operates under a reservation to the ban, while Japan resumed whaling after leaving the IWC in 2019. Further, accidental capture in fishing nets and vessel collisions pose very great dangers, with an estimated 300,000 or more cetaceans dying each year from entanglement in fishing gear alone.
Amid these circumstances, there’s hope to be had: humpback whales have rebounded from around 10,000 at their lowest point to approximately 80,000 today. Research published in December 2025 revealed that their success stems partly from a remarkable dietary flexibility, as they can switch between prey sources when conditions change, staying in an area even when their preferred food disappears.
Other fascinating changes are underway, too. Just last week, a parliamentary bill was introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand seeking legal personhood for whales. The Tohorā Oranga Bill, introduced by Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono on February 11, 2026, would recognise whales as having inherent rights including freedom of movement and migration, protection of natural behaviors and the right to thrive in a healthy marine environment.
To mark World Whale Day, Our Culture presents four photographers that have captured the magnificence of these creatures:
Ollie Clarke
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Rachel Moore
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Álvaro Herrero
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Marcia Riederer
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