New survey estimate and recent trend data suggest the population may be stable and possibly increasing slightly. This month, NOAA Fisheries announced an updated abundance estimate for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales. Scientists estimated that the population size is between 290 and 386, with a median best estimate of 331. In 2018, scientists estimated that the […]
NOAA awards Norwegian Encore and others with letters of commendation for 2022. Top Three Whale-Sighting Vessels Honored NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve issued awards to the top three cruise ships reporting the most sightings through the Whale Alert Alaska Program for 2022. The whale sighting network helps professional mariners aboard large vessels to […]
Agency announces a positive 90-day finding on a petition to expand North Pacific right whale critical habitat; seeks public comment. NOAA Fisheries is initiating a review of designated critical habitat for endangered North Pacific right whales, of which there are only an estimated 30 animals remaining. The review is in response to a petition we received […]
For the love of whales, team sheds light on the death of a long-known humpback whale. Whale on the Beach On February 10, 2022, ferry crew from the Alaska Marine Highway System reported a dead whale on a beach on Killisnoo Island in Southeast Alaska. AMHS and the United States Coast Guard provided photos to […]