Vessel strike suspected in Southeast Alaska whale death

A humpback whale breaches successful Kenai Fjords National Park connected June 12, 2013. (Photo by Kaitlin Thoreson/National Park Service)

Two dormant whales were discovered past period successful Southeast Alaska waters adjacent Hoonah’s Icy Strait. Scientists judge astatine slightest 1 died aft being struck by a vessel.

On July 3, NOAA Fisheries received a study of a floating yearling humpback whale, which later washed ashore adjacent Elfin Cove. Mandy Keogh is NOAA’s marine mammal stranding coordinator successful Alaska. She says they worked pinch their stranding partners to respond and execute a necropsy, aliases an animal autopsy, connected nan whale.

“A fewer days later, and that investigation recovered grounds of blunt unit trauma, truthful location was bruising, location was immoderate surgery bones, and those are each suggestive of a ample blunt unit trauma, which would really only beryllium a alloy onslaught successful that area,” Keogh said. “So we person wished that nan origin of decease for that yearling was of apt a alloy strike.”

She says nan surgery bones were larger, which is accordant pinch nan whale being struck by a larger vessel.

A 2nd humpback whale was reported floating adjacent Point Adolphus connected July 22. The whale was identified arsenic a 23-year-old female. While they recovered immoderate bruising connected nan whale that whitethorn person suggested a alloy strike, owed to nan whale’s size and position they weren’t capable to afloat analyse nan bones to corroborate nan origin of death.

“We besides confirmed successful that autopsy aliases necropsy that she was really pregnant astatine her clip of death, and truthful we recovered fetal bones successful her uterus, which was very sad to hear,” Keogh said. “This female hadn’t been seen pinch a calf before, that we cognize of. So it was besides a difficult uncovering because of that.”

Keogh says a ample number of whales are progressive successful nan area and they’ve received a number of reported whale interactions from boaters. Cruise ships, ferries and sportfishing boats each predominant Icy Strait.

Keogh says nan champion point boaters tin do to forestall alloy strikes crossed Alaska’s waters is slow down.

“Just effort and trim your speed, particularly if you’re successful an area for illustration Point Adolphus and Icy Strait area, wherever we cognize this summertime we’ve had a batch of whales, to conscionable slow down your vessel speed,” he said. “That allows you much clip to observe a whale successful nan area. It besides whitethorn thief nan whale not beryllium amazed by vessels moving into nan area, truthful that’s nan safest point you tin do, and it’s besides safer for nan alloy operator.”

Alaska’s humpback whale attack regulations require that vessels enactment complete 100 yards distant from humpback whales, not disrupt whale activity and run vessels astatine slow, safe speeds erstwhile adjacent whales. Boaters tin study each dead, injured aliases entangled marine mammals to NOAA’s 24-hour stranding hotline, 1-877-925-7773.