14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that scientists were wrong when they have first established the number of whales that live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean. After analyzing the whale population for three years, the biologists integrated all the information in a study released in 2008.
The initial paper, named 'Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks' (SPLASH) stated that the humpback whales population counts approximately 20,000 individuals.
Their estimation was then based upon photographs, a somehow reliable source taking into consideration the fact that identification was possible due to the whale's fluke patterns, one of a kind for each creature.
While other creatures go extinct and will smile to tourist worldwide only on postcards, the biologists' mistake is a source of enthusiasm. Scientists made up their mind and declared that the Pacific Ocean is home for 21,000 or more whales.
"These improved numbers are encouraging... We feel the numbers may even be larger since there have been across-the-board increases in known population areas and unknown areas have probably seen the same increases, “ concluded Dr Jay Barlow, a researcher at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California