21 November, 2025

We’re often surrounded by a stream of worrying environmental headlines but every so often, it’s important to highlight the progress happening in the background. So this week, we’re happy to share encouraging news about whales, turtles, and forests making a comeback that deserve to be celebrated. 

First, eastern Australian humpback whales have made a dramatic recovery. A recent report estimates their population reached at least 50,000 individuals in 2024, a staggering rebound compared to just 150 whales in the early 1960s, before whaling was banned. Scientists describe the recovery as ‘a near miracle’, helped by safe breeding areas and reduced competition for food. 

Next, green sea turtles have officially crawled out of the ‘endangered’ category and into the ‘least concern’ category on the IUCN’s Red List, thanks to decades of coordinated conservation efforts. Protecting nesting beaches, reducing fishing bycatch, and community-led initiatives have all played a role in this remarkable turnaround. 

And finally, a global win: deforestation has slowed in every region over the last decade. More than half of the world’s forests are now under long-term management plans, and one-fifth are legally protected. 

These stories give real cause for optimism, but they also come with important caveats. Whale populations may soon hit the limits their habitat can support, green turtles still face threats from climate change and bycatch, and although deforestation has slowed, we’re still losing 10.9 million hectares of forest a year. So yes, there’s plenty of work left to do. But for today, these wins remind us that nature is resilient and that when we act with intention, recovery is possible. 

By Tulika Agarwal