The Central American humpback whale is considered endangered due to its small population size and potentially harmful interaction with human activities such as fishing and shipping. Other humpback populations in the Pacific have shown positive population trends in recent years but the Central American population is estimated at less than 1500 animals, and believed to remain far below historical, pre-whaling numbers.
The population breeds off central America before following a migration along the Mexican coast to feeding grounds off the west coast of the US and southern Canada. More work is required to quantify the threats but there are known to be regional differences, such as crab fishery entanglement off California and vessel collision in Panamanian waters, which are amongst the most transited in the world. Ocean noise, micro and nano plastics, physical disturbance and climate change are also believed to pose a threat to this little-studied population.
Migration route of Central American humpback whales
The CMP was endorsed in 2024 and is supported by seven IWC member governments, all range states with coastline that hosts Central American humpbacks at some point during their migratory cycle. The overall goal of the CMP is to manage human activities that affect this population and maximise its chances of recovery, based on the best scientific evidence.
Priority work areas
- Continue to investigate population structure, abundance and threats.
- Monitor trends in abundance and threats.
- Mitigate bycatch, habitat loss and pollution.
- Develop a strategy to increase public awareness about the population and the threats it faces.
Entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are key threat to Central American Humpback Whales
Credit: Sergio Martínez, PRIMMA/UABCS-Mexico
A team responds to a humpback calf entangled in fishing nets off Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 2014
Read the Conservation Management Plan for Central American Humpback Whales
