In the next decade, the world will see how the sustainability of oceanic waters and their strong connection with human lives are under threat. Society must be involved in creating this transnational invitation, expressing its global commitment through the formulation of initiatives and policies, based on scientific evidence toward the protection of oceans. Ana Lucia Camphora, the author of ‘Animals and society in Brazil from the 16th to the 19th century’, focuses on the contributions from human-whale historiography to ocean sciences.