Humpback whales have rebounded from near-extinction but continue to face welfare threats from entanglement, vessel strike, and noise pollution.
Humpback whale recovery is a conservation success story but welfare threats persist. Vessel strikes cause acute trauma and death. Entanglement in fishing gear causes the prolonged suffering described elsewhere. Noise pollution disrupts communication between mothers and calves and between singing males, causing behavioral stress. Krill distribution shifts from climate change affect feeding success, potentially causing nutritional stress in mothers nursing energy-demanding calves. The social complexity of humpbacks — including long-term associations and cultural transmission of feeding techniques — means social disruption has welfare dimensions beyond individual suffering.