How many Humpback whales were there and how many are there now?

Answer 1

Because Humpback whales are endangered, there would be about 20,000 in the world. There probably used to be over 100,000.

After checking with Wikipedia; One John Smith is known to have made attempts to hunt the Humpback whale near what is now the state of Maine in 1614. No population estimates from that period are available. However, by the 18th century, they had become a popular target for whalers. The late 19th century invention of the explosive harpoon, along with the advent of Antarctic Ocean hunting in 1904, drastically reduced whale populations.

It is estimated that at least 200,000 whales were taken (killed) during the 20th century, reducing the world population by 90%.

In 1966, the entire world's whale populaton was estimated to be around 5,000 individuals.

Right now, there at least 80,000 Humpback whales worldwide. The IUCN downgraded them from 'vulnerable' to 'least concern' status in 2008.

The US still considers them to be 'endangered', with the 'North Pacific population' estimated at around 20,000, up from 1,500 before hunting was banned worldwide.