Anchorage Daily News

Cook Inlet's few hundred endangered beluga whales are being identified, one by one, not through tagging, but by photographs that show their distinctive marks.

That's right. The famed whales may look milky white from nose to tail, but in reality, they also come in various shades of gray and with marks that set them apart.

Photographers have been able to document scars, shading and other imprints on the skin. Tooth marks from other belugas, perhaps in play, or after a fight. Propeller gouges. Shark or orca bites. Something that looks like a bullet hole. Holes where there used to be a satellite tag. Subtle differences in skin shading like freckles or birthmarks.

That's according to Tamara McGuire, a wildlife biologist and one of more than a dozen experts on belugas who shared their knowledge Saturday at a symposium hosted by Defenders of Wildlife.

The diverse lot of speakers included a beluga hunter who has given it up for the good of the species, someone who looks for whales along the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, and a professor from Alaska Pacific University who is studying the whales' acoustic world.

The purpose of the conference was to give people "a clearer picture in what is happening regarding the science and the research on beluga whales," said Karla Dutton, Alaska director of Defenders of Wildlife, which has backed controversial protections for the animals.

Dozens came to the meeting at the Anchorage Marriott Downtown, the first gathering of so many people interested in Cook Inlet belugas since they were listed as an endangered species in October, Dutton said.

Industrial groups often fear that an endangered species listing means the end of all development. But that's not true, she said.

"It is often just done in a more thoughtful manner that benefits everyone long term," Dutton said.

The latest estimate is that there are about 375 Cook Inlet belugas, down from 1,300 animals in 1979.

No one is sure what is hurting the belugas. Subsistence hunters used to take large numbers. But the hunts have been regulated since 1999 and only five whales have been harvested legally since then. There's now a moratorium on hunts, through 2012 at least.

State officials, who are considering a lawsuit over the listing, say the federal government should have waited longer before declaring belugas endangered. In the last four years, the number of belugas has grown by about 100, said Doug Vincent-Lang, the state's endangered species coordinator, who attended the symposium but didn't give a presentation.

The population counts are just estimates, said Brad Smith of the National Marine Fisheries Service. The trend is downward for the belugas, he told the audience.

Possible ongoing threats include pollution, coastal development, strandings, predation and poaching, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

By April, the National Marines Fisheries Service should have a proposed designation of critical habitat for the belugas -- places where they feed, and congregate, Smith said. They like the coast and tidal areas, even mudflats, but don't seem drawn to big rivers loaded with salmon, such as the Kenai, he said. They may like narrower bodies of water like the Little Su, where they can better ambush their prey, he said.

Development isn't prohibited within areas of critical habitat, but if federal agencies are involved, they must consult with the fisheries service about the work, he said.

Big projects that could be affected include the Port of Anchorage expansion, the proposed Knik Arm crossing, and Anchorage's sewage treatment plant at Point Woronzof. Bob Shavelson, executive director of Cook Inletkeeper, told the crowd the biggest threat is a proposed coal mine across Cook Inlet.

Meanwhile, beluga research is under way.

Ana Sirovic, assistant professor of marine biology at Alaska Pacific University, is overseeing acoustic monitoring being done around the Port of Anchorage. The goal is to learn how sound-sensitive whales, who communicate with whistles and navigate with echolocation, respond to the pile driving for the port expansion, she said.

McGuire, of LGL Alaska Research Associates, an environmental consulting agency, said her photo project began with an effort to learn whether individual whales could be identified through photos.

Her answer: Yes. Now researchers are cataloging thousands of images. So far, 188 individual belugas have been identified, and researchers are still working on photos from last summer, she said. The work began in 2005.

What about pollution? Tests on belugas from samples taken from 1992 to 1996 showed low levels of contaminants such as pesticides and mercury, though high levels of copper, Barbara Mahoney, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service, told the audience. A new analysis is planned that will look at more recent samples.

APU also was contracted to watch for whales around the port. Student interns scan the water with binoculars from an observation station on the bluff above Knik Arm at Carin Point. When they spot whales, they track them using a surveying instrument hooked to a laptop, said Leslie Cornick, an APU associate professor of marine biology. Last year, they counted 283 whales, but that reflects the same whales seen more than once, she said.

A separate group watches for whales farther south at the port construction site. Construction must stop if belugas get too close.

One effort to help with research on the belugas is looking for volunteers. The group Friends of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge plans an extensive survey starting this year. Training for volunteers to do the count will take place this spring, said Barbara Carlson of the friends group.

Find Lisa Demer online at adn.com/contact/ldemer or call 257-4390.

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