Eyes in the Sky Track Alaska’s Belugas
Laura Hoberecht
NOAA Fisheries Public Affairs
July 28, 2009 — How does NOAA keep track of Alaska’s elusive Cook Inlet beluga whales? Four people. A plane. 40 hours. And 2,698 miles of searchable inlet waters.
In June, NOAA Fisheries’ National Marine Mammal Laboratory conducted its 17th annual aerial count of belugas in the silt-laden waters of Cook Inlet, near Anchorage, Alaska.
In the silty waters of Cook Inlet, only the backs of belugas are visible. Here, a female whale and her gray calf surface for a breath. Photo credit: Janice Waite, NOAA Fisheries Service.
Beluga whales are white or gray, toothed and range from 6 to 15 feet in length. Five beluga populations have been found around Alaska. The small Cook Inlet population, which was added to the Endangered Species Act last year, is considered to be the most isolated. It is genetically distinct and geographically separated from four other beluga stocks.
The Cook Inlet belugas are struggling to survive. Strandings, predation by killer whales, disease and continued development within and along upper Cook Inlet are just some of the possible barriers to the whales’ long-term survival.
In addition, the beluga habitats are threatened by the cumulative effects from oil and gas exploration, development and production, as well as industrial activities that discharge or accidentally spill pollutants.
NOAA’s annual Cook Inlet beluga survey is helping to monitor the status of the belugas’ recovery. From bubble windows that allow scientists to see in front of and below the survey plane, researchers watch for cues that indicate a group of whales is in the area.
How many whales do you count in this flight over a group of belugas spotted at the Beluga River in Cook Inlet, Alaska? Correct answer (backwards): slamina 09.
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Video credit: NOAA.
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“There is always a thrill when you’ve been flying for hours and then you spot the distinctive rising and submerging of whale backs among the white caps,” said Kim Shelden, NOAA’s lead biologist for the surveys.
Once whales are located, researchers mark the position with a global positioning system and begin a formal count using a protocol designed to handle the belugas’ habit of staying in dense groups near river mouths. By flying in an oval pattern — as if following a racetrack — researchers count the number of whales they view along one straight-away, then turn and recount along the other. Counting passes are also videotaped and later reviewed in detail to make sure no whales were missed or counted twice.
And, it’s not just belugas that get counted. The researchers note all marine mammals they spot.
“We also see humpback, fin and gray whales; harbor porpoises; sea otters; and harbor seals,” Shelden said. “Occasionally we even spot killer whales, a species which preys on belugas.”
The Cook Inlet beluga population, which may have numbered as many as 1,300 in the 1970s, now stands at about 300 to 400 animals. Researchers hope to see signs of recovery in the near future. This year’s official survey results will not be available until September, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, test your own beluga whale counting skills in a fun video simulation.
Kim Goetz, from NOAA Fisheries, prepares to video a counting pass over a group of belugas. Photo credit: Julie Mocklin, NOAA Fisheries Service.
David Rugh, from NOAA Fisheries, marks the position of a group of whales and enters information about the beluga sighting into a computer database. Photo credit: Julie Mocklin, NOAA Fisheries Service.
Scientists from the NOAA Fisheries’ National Marine Mammal Laboratory watch for endangered beluga whales during its annual aerial survey. Photo credit Kim Shelden, NOAA Fisheries Service.