October 7th, 1914
Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Partners Necropsy Minke Whale Near Gustavus
Findings highlight risk to whales and dolphins from vertical lines in marine environment. A couple walking on the beach near Gustavus dock early on Sunday, May 30 were initially excited to spot a minke whale surface near a moored vessel. But then, they saw the whale dive and heard the mooring chain on the vessel […]
January 28th, 1908
First Long Term Acoustic Study Tunes Into Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Foraging Ecology
The first continuous multiyear acoustic monitoring effort across Cook Inlet provides the most comprehensive description of beluga whale seasonal distribution and feeding behavior to date. This knowledge is critical for understanding and managing potential threats impeding recovery of this endangered population. “Cook Inlet belugas were listed as endangered in 2008. Despite protective measures, the population continued to decline,” […]
Lawsuit Launched to Save Alaska’s Cook Inlet Beluga Whales From Harmful Oil Exploration
Whale Population Plummeting in Project Area, New Federal Data Show ANCHORAGE, Alaska— Conservation groups Friday threatened to sue the Trump administration for approving oil exploration in Alaska’s Cook Inlet after new federal data found a dramatic decline in the area’s population of endangered beluga whales. The formal notice of intent to file an Endangered Species Act lawsuit […]
NOAA Releases New Abundance Estimate for Endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whales
Today, NOAA Fisheries released its biennial abundance estimate for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales. Scientists estimated that the population size is between 250 and 317, with a median estimate of 279. The population is estimated to be smaller and declining more quickly than previously thought. Abundance estimates can vary from year to year due to a […]
Whale-Alutiiq Word of the Week-October 27th
AR’UQ, ARWAQ – WHALE AR’UT AMLERTUT. – THERE ARE MANY WHALES. Six species of baleen whales feed in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Alaska. Each spring, grey, humpback, minke, fin, right, and blue whales swim by on their way to the Bering Sea, although many remain in the Kodiak area. For Alutiiq communities, […]
Kaktovik Man Faces Federal Charges in Polar Bear Killing
The Department of Justice’s Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that a Kaktovik man faces federal charges for knowingly taking a polar bear in a manner unlawful under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and has been charged with Wasteful Taking of a Marine Mammal. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opened an investigation this Spring after […]
Young Gray Whale Found Dead at Clam Gulch
Photo: Dead gray whale at Clam Gulch, on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Photo: NOAA/May 28, 2019 A family fishing for herring north of the Clam Gulch Recreation Area on the Kenai Peninsula last Wednesday discovered a dead whale. They reported this stranding to NOAA Fisheries this past Friday with a photograph. Marine mammal […]