- Commercial whalers are people who hunt whales for profit. They use large ships and harpoons to kill the whales and then sell their meat, oil, and other body parts.
- Scientific research whalers are people who kill whales for scientific research purposes. They use small boats and darts to kill the whales and then collect samples of their tissues for study.
- Indigenous whalers are people who hunt whales as part of their traditional culture. They use small boats and harpoons to kill the whales and then use their meat and other body parts for food and other purposes.
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is an international organization that regulates whaling. The IWC sets quotas for how many whales can be killed each year and also monitors the populations of whales to make sure that they are not being overhunted.