Humpback whales live in every ocean and make one of the longest migrations of any mammal. Some swim 5,000 miles between warm breeding waters and cold feeding grounds. By the time commercial whaling was finally stopped, humpback populations had been crushed, most cut by more than 95 percent. In 1985 an international moratorium on commercial whaling took full effect, and according to NOAA it played a major role in their recovery. Today the species is increasing through much of its range, though four of its 14 population segments are still listed as endangered. The hunting stopped, and life came back. When God calls us to lay down something that harms others, healing often follows faster than we expect.
