 
 
 
 
 NEWS RELEASE 
 
 August 20, 2015 
 
 Julie Speegle, 907-586-7032 w., 907-321-7032 c. 
 
 
 
 NOAA declares deaths of large whales in Gulf of Alaska an unusual mortality event 
 
 
 
 Bears feeding on a fin whale carcass in Larson Bay, Alaska, near Kodiak. A federal agency announced plans Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, for... (Associated Press) 
 
 NOAA Fisheries declared the deaths an "unusual mortality event," triggering a new-level investigation that brings with it access to additional resources. Since May 2015, 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale, and four unidentified cetaceans have stranded around the islands of the western Gulf of Alaska and the southern shoreline of the Alaska Peninsula. To date, this brings the large whale strandings for this region to almost three times the historical average. So far four whales species have been identified in what NOAA is characterizing as an "unusual mortality event": humpback, sperm, grey and fin. Teri Rowles, NOAA Fisheries' marine mammal health and stranding response coordinator, told reporters during a teleconference Thursday that large-scale whale deaths are among the toughest to investigate, partly because the carcasses often are floating, rarely beached and difficult to access for examination. Members of the public can greatly assist the investigation by immediately reporting any sightings of dead whales or distressed live animals they discover." Members of the public can assist in the investigation by immediately contacting the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network hotline at 877-9-AKR-PRD (877-925-7773) if they see a stranded or dead marine mammal. The public is asked to report any dead whale sightings, but should not approach or touch the animal.
– Some 30 large whales have been found dead in the western Gulf of Alaska since May and the NOAA wants to know why. The agency says it is opening a scientific investigation into what is calls an "unusual mortality event," with the number of whale deaths at three times the historical average for the area, reports the AP. The NOAA describes the event in a release as "a significant die-off" involving 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale, and four unidentified whales. A rep suggests the deaths could be tied to algae bloom toxins, but there's no evidence for that yet. The NOAA notes the investigation could take months or even years. Officials have only been about to nab a sample from one of the 30 whales and it was labeled "less than ideal," reports the CBC, which notes the sample contained no presence of one strain of algae toxins. Getting to more whales is difficult: Parts of the coastline can be tough to get to, floating carcasses are hard to access as well, and beached whales can be magnets for bears, a coordinator says. Scientists will thus study environmental factors, historical data, and deaths among seabirds and other creatures to help shed light on the issue. "Our investigations will give us important information on the health of whales and the ecosystems where they live," the coordinator says. Researchers will also work with colleagues in British Columbia, where five large whales have been found dead this month; necropsy results on two are pending.