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Humpback whales, once feared to be on the verge of extinction, have made such a dramatic comeback that the International Union for Conservation of Nature has removed them from its list of vulnerable species. A ban on humpback whaling in the 1960s has allowed their numbers to grow to 55,000 worldwide, reports the Guardian.

"This is a great conservation success and shows what needs to be done to ensure these ocean giants survive," said a spokesman for the conservation organization. The future, however, remains bleak for other whales, dolphins, sharks and porpoises—with some 10% classified as endangered or critically endangered. (Read more humpback whale stories.)