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Cook Inlet Beluga Whales May Be Close To Extinct!
WILDLIFE - SEALIFE
Written by sharon   
Saturday, 21 August 2010 01:43

Cook Inlet Beluga Whales May Be Close To Extinct!

Beluga Whales

Beluga Whales


There are less than 300 magnificent white beluga whales living in the wild Cook Inlet Alaska region today. These whales are isolated from other beluga whale stock and are genetically unique. In the early 1970’s over 1,300 Cook Inlet beluga whales thrived. Since that time, numbers have rapidly declined to less than 300, making them dangerously on a path to extinction.

"Beluga whales are known as the 'canaries of the sea' because they produce a vast repertoire of sounds including whistles, squeals, moos, chirps, and clicks. These sounds are used for communication within their social groups and also use to locate prey through echolocation."



(Source: NOAA)

 

What is a Beluga Whale?

Beluga Whale

Beluga Whale

 

The Beluga Whale (species Delphinapterus leucas) is a small toothed whale that lives in the arctic and sub-arctic regions of the earth’s oceans. Adults can reach a length 16 feet and weigh about 3,300 pounds.

 

“The whale's population decline has been so severe that, in 2006 the World Conservation Union (IUCN) placed the Cook Inlet beluga on its Red List of endangered species. The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission repeatedly requested that NMFS list the species under the ESA.” (Source: Defenders of Wildlife)

 

The beluga whales do not have a dorsal fin due to the encumbrance a top fin would be while maneuvering under the ice flow. Because they live in very cold water, these marine mammals depend on large layers of blubber to keep them alive.

Beluga whales have a unique un-fused cervical vertebra, which allows them to move their head up, down and from side to side. Another unique quality of the beluga whale is that they shed their outer layer of skin every year to reveal new white skin.

 

Mom and Baby Beluga at Ontario Sea World

Mom and Baby Beluga at Ontario Sea World

 

“Status of Cetacean Species All cetaceans are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA); some may be designated as "depleted" under the MMPA. Endangered and threatened cetaceans are further protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). (Source: NOAA)”

 

These beautiful creatures mate in the spring have usually one calf the next year. Calves are born gray colored and may nurse for more than a year until their teeth emerge, when they start eating shrimp and small fish. They may be gray until they mature at about 7 years. Their lifespan is thought to be about 35-50 years.

 

Sierra Club

Beluga whales are very social animals and they usually migrate, hunt and interact together in groups of 10 to several hundred. They have acute vision in and out of the water and exceptionally good hearing.

 

Where do Cook Inlet Beluga Whales live?

Cook Inlet is in south-central Alaska and stretches 180 miles from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage. The watershed covers over 40,000 square miles of southern Alaska east of the Aleutian Range and south of the Alaska Range receiving water from its tributaries the Knik River, the Little Susitna River, and the Susitna and Matanuska rivers. This watershed includes drainage from Mount McKinley, several national parks and cities. There are approximately 400,000 people living within the Cook Inlet watershed.

Beluga Whale Pod

Beluga Whale Pod

 

There are also several development projects in the Cook Inlet region that affect the watershed and wildlife (see list under threats below).

There are five stocks of beluga whales and the Cook Inlet stock is the most isolated. Genetic samples suggest that they have been isolated for several thousands of years. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) estimates the population of beluga whales in the Cook Inlet was around 1,300 in the late 1970s and by 1994, there were only about 650. The current estimate is at 380 whales. The Cook Inlet stock of beluga whales is designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and was recently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

 

Cook Inlet

Cook Inlet

 

What do Beluga Whales eat?

 

Belugas are opportunistic feeders, eating octopus, squid, crabs, shrimp, clams, mussels, snails, sandworms, and fishes, including salmon and marine species such as capelin, cod, herring, smelt, flounder, sole, sculpin, lamprey, and lingcod.

 

Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet

 

Why might the Beluga Whale become extinct?

x-markThreats:

 

“Belugas are the only cetacean with skin thick enough to be used as leather when tanned. For this and other reasons, they have been harvested over the years. Human-caused mortality, primarily legal subsistence harvest by Alaska Natives, has been the most significant source of mortality of this species during recent times. Subsistence harvest is the only factor that can be identified as influencing the decline of the Cook Inlet population from 1994 to 1998 when 67 whales per year were harvested, prompting the "depleted" designation under the MMPA. The lack of recovery of the population after these harvests were curtailed was a factor that contributed to the recent ESA listing. Moreover, Cook Inlet is highly developed, and human activity is expected to increase in the future. Potential human-caused threats to this population include shipping, oil and gas production and transport, indirect and direct adverse effects from commercial fishing gear (e.g., gillnets) and operations, pollution, habitat destruction and alteration, harassment due to increasing commerce and recreation in Cook Inlet, and noise.” (Source: NOAA)



Cook Inlet Offshore Oil Rigs

 

x-markPredators:

 

Man – Some beluga whale populations, including the Cook Inlet beluga whales, are greatly reduced due to hunting practices. Other predators are killer whales and polar bears, but are not attributed to the recent unusual decline in population.



x-markPollution Poison:S

Beluga whales like shallow coastal waters, which puts them at risk for pollution such as offshore petroleum. “Canada's St. Lawrence Estuary is an example where industrial pollution has caused high beluga whale mortality. (Source: NOAA)”

x-markOther Cook Inlet Threats - Projects:



What can I do to save the Cook Inlet Beluga Whales?

checkmarkDo not hunt Cook Inlet Beluga Whales!

Do not hunt the Cook Inlet beluga whales even if it is your native right. Scientists believe that hunting by man is the major cause of the radical decline in numbers from the 1970’s. The fact is, there will be no more beluga whales in the Cook Inlet if the numbers keep declining!

checkmarkPlease support beluga whale causes

Please make a tax-deductible donation to support our court battle to ensure that Cook Inlet belugas have the federal protections they need to survive.

checkmarkDo not use pesticides or pollutants

Do not use pesticides or chemicals that flow into the streams and ocean. Use Integrated Pest Management techniques instead of pesticides in your garden. See the USDA's excellent backyard conservation website for more information.

checkmarkDo not practice noise pollution

Do not use severe loud or noisy machines or instruments in the water. Beluga whales, like all whales, us echolocation to find their food and their family members. Military underwater experiments are very harmful to sea life and can harm whale’s ability to communicate and feed.

checkmarkKeep Cook Inlet waters clean!

Keep the watershed clean and non-threatening!

checkmarkLearn and Teach!

Learn more about whales and teach your children about them. See the resources below.

Please learn more and help our beautiful white beluga whales survive. They are a critical part of health eco-systems worldwide.

Thank you for taking the time to read about Cook Inlet Beluga Whales.

 

 

Sharon Haddox
Writer & Editor SeaGreenNews.com
Volunteer for Non-Profit Orgs
Wildlife Enthusiast & Green Advocate

Books:

Whaleshtrp.net/image-4028123-10450940" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>
Beluga Whales Up Close
Seagull Heaven Clock
Save the Whales Mousepad

 

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 November 2010 06:16
 

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