The largest, the blue whale, is the size of a ten-storey building and weighs as much as thirty elephants put together. Arctic whales, on the other hand, can live for more than a hundred years. Cetaceans are also our allies in the fight against global warming, because they sequester significant quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. To celebrate these creatures of extraordinary and still mysterious intelligence, and to highlight the need to protect them, the third Sunday of February marks World Whale Day.

The future of whales, between threats and hopes

The ban on whale hunting came into force in 1986, yet today the giants of the oceans still face numerous threats. The first, and sadly well known, is Japan: the Asian nation continues undisturbed to slaughter these peaceful cetaceans, circumventing the ban through the loophole of scientific research.

The Asian country is not, however, the only one to violate the moratorium established by the International Whaling Commission (Iwc): Norway and Iceland also continue to hunt whales, and Iceland is the only country in the world to also hunt the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), a species at risk of extinction. The other threats to whales are, naturally, also of anthropogenic origin: the growing pollution of waters across the globe, climate change, accidental catches by fishing vessels, collisions with ships, and oil exploration.

That said, there is good news too: the populations of some species are growing, such as Western Pacific grey whales and humpback whales living off the western coast of Australia.

Maui Whale Festival

World Whale Day originated in 1980 on the Hawaiian island of Maui, one of the best places for whale-watching, to celebrate the return of humpback whales to the island during their seasonal migration. For the occasion, the Maui Whale Festival is organised by the NGO Pacific Whale Foundation, an event entirely centred on whales, featuring themed floats, conferences, concerts and shows.

Films and parades for whales

The forty-first edition of the Maui Whale Festival began on 8 February with a hybrid format, made necessary by pandemic containment measures. The programme includes numerous events, among them a virtual charity run, webinars with experts, and a film festival. Every activity has been designed to raise awareness of the importance of conserving cetaceans and their habitat.