Marine Wildlife

Dead whale ashore on Kodiak likely killed by orcas

A 40-foot humpback whale has washed ashore near a Kodiak Island community and probably will be a feast for the island's famous bears, according to a whale expert.

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Archive by category ''Marine Wildlife

MARINE WILDLIFE

Environmental group sues to protect ringed, bearded seals

An environmental group Wednesday sued the National Marine Fisheries Service, claiming the federal agency has failed to decide whether two ice-dependent seals found off the northern coast of Alaska should be listed as threatened or endangered.
MARINE WILDLIFE

Review questions science in federal plan to protect sea lions

Three independent reviewers are questioning the science behind a federal decision to restrict commercial fishing to protect endangered Steller sea lions in Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
MARINE WILDLIFE

Gray whale baby boom is noted in Alaska and California

A gray whale baby boom appears to be under way along Alaska's Arctic coast. Scientists tracking marine mammals in the Chukchi Sea report an unprecedented number of sightings of gray whale calves in July.
ALASKA NEWSREADER

Whales may be able to tune out human cacophony

Preliminary results of experiments on a captive whale show that its wild counterparts might be able to "plug their ears" when they encounter the deafening noises of human activity, from throbbing engines to Navy sonar. Scientists don't know how the whale desensitizes its hearing, The New York...
MARINE WILDLIFE

Whale capsizes skiff near Hoonah, two men swim to shore

Two men were uninjured when their boat capsized when a whale breached next to them.
BELUGA WHALES

Beluga calf rescue draws specialists to Seward

Marine mammal specialists from across the U.S. have traveled to the Alaska SeaLife Center to help care for a baby beluga whale that became separated from its mother in Bristol Bay shortly after its birth.
OIL AND GAS

Oil exploration in Arctic waters brings noise to whales' domain

As the Arctic Ocean's ice cover declines in summer and oil companies move in with ships, drilling equipment and seismic surveys, what used to be a mostly very quiet home for whales and other marine animals is getting a lot louder.
ALASKA FISHING

Decline in king salmon is rooted in the sea, state biologists say

Biologists say the widespread failures of king salmon returns that have been building in Alaska for the last five years aren't freshwater based. Instead, marine waters are the "hole in the bucket."
ANCHORAGE

'Big Miracle' available on disc after lackluster box office run

The DVD and Blu-ray editions of "Big Miracle" hit stores Tuesday, crammed with cameos by Alaska actors and behind-the-scenes trivia from director Ken Kwapis. The first modern, major movie filmed in Alaska, the production was an early test of the state's ability to lure filmmakers with generous...
MARINE WILDLIFE

Comments sought on bowhead whale hunts

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says public comments are being sought on proposed catch limits of Alaska bowhead whales for Eskimo subsistence hunters.