Photo courtesy of Madison Kosma / Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership
Alaska Wildlife Alliance’s Kenai coordinator, Teresa Becher, made another great appearance in the news for monitoring of critically endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales as part of the Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership (AKBMP)! This spring, there were over 220 observations of beluga whales recorded by trained citizen-science volunteers along the Cook Inlet. While some whales could have been counted more than once per session and could have made multiple appearances throughout the season, the data is still valuable information to try to determine the behaviors and needs of these animals- particularly during the spring season when their behaviors are still lesser known. This year’s spring counts will be valuable benchmarks for data in future observations to come.
If you would like to receive text alerts for when belugas are seen in the Kenai or Kasilof Rivers, or if YOU see a beluga in those rivers and would like to report it, text BELUGA to 833-541-0408. If you are also interested in helping monitor for endangered belugas along the Cook Inlet this fall, visit AKBMP.org to sign up and learn more!
Author: Sabine Poux, Alaska Public Media
