The Soviet Union once hunted endangered whales to the brink of extinction – but its scientists opposed whaling and secretly tracked its toll
- Written by Ryan Jones, Associate Professor of History, University of Oregon
Soviet whalers manning mechanized harpoons in 1960.Marka/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesEvery year, an estimated 13 million people go whale-watching around the world, marveling at the sight of the largest animals ever to inhabit Earth. It’s a dramatic reversal from a century ago, when few people ever saw a living whale. The creatures...