Humpback whale, Disko Bay, Greenland
© Paul Souders/DanitaDelimont.co
Jumping off the endangered list. 50 years of the Endangered Species Act
Today is a special milestone for our furry, scaly and feathered friends: the Endangered Species Act is turning 50. This landmark US legislation, signed into law in 1973, has been lending a helping hand to species on the brink for half a decade. The act helped inspire Britain's own Wildlife and Countryside act of 1981. Who's that in the spotlight? A humpback whale! Known for their haunting songs and acrobatic breaches, these gentle giants are a success story of the ESA. They were once on the edge of extinction due to whaling and entanglement in fishing gear, but thanks to conservation efforts, their population is making a comeback, from around 5,000 in 1966 to an estimate of 135,000 today.
Related Images
The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
View of the Milky Way from the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia
Rodrigo Koxa riding the biggest wave ever surfed, on 8 Nov 2017, off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal
Adélie penguins at Possession Island, Antarctica
Trumpeter swans at Kelly Warm Springs, near Kelly, Wyoming, USA
Gentoo penguins airing grievances in Antarctica
Sperm whale mother and albino baby swimming off the coast of Portugal
An aerial view of Alum Bay on the Isle of Wight
Bing Today Images
Black-and-white ruffed lemur in Madagascar
Dec 28, 2025
Maloja, Switzerland
Dec 28, 2022
Kjell Henriksen Observatory in Svalbard, Norway
Dec 28, 2021
Canada lynx in Montana, USA
Dec 28, 2020
