Under the pretense of scientific research, a fleet of Japanese whaling ships is hunting the humpback whale for the first time in decades. The whaling mission plans on killing roughly 1,000 animals in all, including 50 or so humpbacks. While Japanese officials claim the purpose of the mission is to study whale organs, the meat from the animals will be sold commercially.
“Whale whisperer” Bernie Krause is attempting to save an injured mother humpback whale and her calf near Sacramento, Calif., where they hit a dead end in the San Jose River Delta. Krause is talking to the whales using recordings of humpback calls—a strategy he used before to successfully reroute a wayward whale.