Culture, defined as information or behaviours shared within a group and acquired from conspecifics through some form of social learning, acts as a second inheritance system which has important implications for conservation efforts. Understanding the influence of social learning and culture in animal’s lives is essential to planning and predicting outcomes of conservation actions. Culture plays a significant role in cetaceans’ lives, and some of the best evidence for social learning has come from baleen whales (mysticetes). An essential first step in a conservation framework is to identify key indicators of social learning in well-studied species which could be applied to other more elusive species. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an international treaty operating under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), has recently integrated animal culture into their management framework. Here, as part of the UNEP CMS framework, we first evaluate key evidence for social learning and culture in baleen whales using case studies. We then provide key indicators by behavioural context to assist in identifying potential cases of social learning which may be useful in future conservation assessment and management frameworks.