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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) Sighted at Possession Point, Southern Vancouver Islan
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada

Rare and friendly sea otter spotted in waters off Saanich
[VIDEOS & PHOTOS] A rare and entertaining sea otter spotted along the shores of Saanich this week has locals thrilled, but wildlife experts warn to keep a distance.
Ten Mile Point, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Dead Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
7-10-14 Stranded sea otter - McDonald Spit, Alaska, USA
Seldovia, Alaska, USA

New Beaked Whale Species (Berardius)
New beaked whale species: Berardius
Saint George, Alaska, United States
Karin Holser, Joshua Prokopiof, Hertha Kashaverof, Aaron Merculief

Dead Spotted (Phoca largha) and Ringed (Pusa hispida) Seals
We are spotting dead baby 'spotted' and 'ringed' seals washing up on the beach with no signs of lesions or signs of gun shots.
Wales, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Olivia Lee, Robert Tokeinna, Hajo Eicken

Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) Over-heated
This sea lion was seen for over an hour floating along the shore and holding one front and one back flipper in the air.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Advisory - Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Safety
3-5-14 Advisory - beluga safety
Point Hope, Alaska, United States

Early Fur Seals
This winter has been especially mild in the central Bering Sea and this is the earliest recorded fur seal on St. George Island ever.
St. George, Alaska, USA

Dead Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)
Dead walrus observed while assessing for coastal erosion.
Port Heiden. Alaska, United States

Hairless Seal
10-19-13 Hairless seal - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Poor Sea Ice - Our Sea Garden
The sea is our garden for food and other things.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Sick Spotted Seal (Phoca largha)
Local hunter reported that he had caught a spotted seal that he thought was sick.
Eek, Alaska, United States

Could Alaska's mystery seal illness be Arctic sunburn?
An Alaska scientist challenges the so-called “unexplained” lesions and deaths observed among Arctic sea life in 2011 and 2012.
Arctic Coast of Alaska
Anchorage Daily News

Bearded seal
Niigata, Niigata, Japan

Ringed Seal
Ōfunato, Iwate, Japan

Unusual Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Sighting
Rare polar bear sighting in Sisualik summer camp, about 10-11 miles north of Kotzebue, AK.
Sisualik Fish Camp, Alaska, United States

Dead Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
At Moses Point, Northeast of Elim, we found a dead beluga whale.
Elim, Alaska, United States

Dead Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Our concern has to do with the impact and number of dead whales that might have on our subsistence lifestyle. It is unusual to find so many dead whales.
Old Harbor, Alaska, United States

Dead Baby Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas)
Several sightings of dead baby belugas were reported on the shores of the community and in the area over the past few days.
Elim, Alaska, United States

Dead Grey Whale
8-7-12 Dead grey whale - Nome, Alaska, USA
Nome, Alaska, United States

Dead Whale
Two dead marine mammals--a fur seal and a whale.
St. George, Alaska, United States

Three dead whales
6-22-12 Three dead whales - Old Harbor, Alaska, USA
Old Harbor, Alaska, USA

Unusual Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus)
5-29-12 Unusual bearded seal - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) with Sores
Ringed seal with sores found in Shishmaref.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Seal with Hair Loss
Seal with hair loss observed in Bering Strait region
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Fur loss, oozing sores observed in Arctic Alaska polar bears
Polar bear researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey are only halfway into their annual survey in Alaska and they've already come across nine bears – six in Barrow and 3 in Kaktovik – with signs of alopecia and skin lesions. The muzzle, face, eyes, ears and neck appear most affected, according to a bulletin published Friday by the agency.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States

3,000 dolphins found dead on the coast of Peru
According to a report from Peru 21, local fishermen in Lambayeque, north Peru, were first to notice the inexplicable rise in dead dolphin appearing on shore -- averaging roughly 30 per day.
Peru
TreeHugger

Polar bears with skin illness
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Ringed seal
Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan

Bearded seal
Tayport, Scotland, United Kingdom

Spotted seal
Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan

Spotted seal
Funabashi, Chiba, Japan

Ribbon seal
Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan

Harp seals

Ringed seal
Wrangel Island, Chukotka, Russia

Sick ringed seal

Sick Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina)
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Ringed Seal Mortality

Ringed seal stranding and mortality
Point Hope, Alaska, United States

Walruses suffer from similar disease afflicting Alaska ringed seals
Pacific walruses are beaching on Northwest Alaska shores, peppered with bleeding skin legions that have been observed on dying ringed seals in Arctic Alaska, according to federal biologists.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Stranded ringed seals
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Mysterious disease killed scores of seals in Alaska
A mysterious disease, possibly a virus, has afflicted ring seals along Alaska's coast, killing scores of them since July, local and federal agencies said on Thursday.
Barrow, Alaska, United States
REUTERS

Mysterious disease takes toll on ringed seals in Alaska Arctic
Biologists are trying to determine what's ailing ringed seals that live off Alaska's Arctic coast. Scores of seals stranded on beaches this summer appeared to have skin lesions, and dozens have died.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Sick Ringed Seal
Koyuk, Alaska, United States

Stranded Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Sick Ringed Seal
Nome, Alaska, United States

Sick Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Ringed seal stranding

Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) Mortality
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

Seal stranding and mortality

Ice seal mortality
Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada

Ice seal mortality
Nome, Alaska, United States

Ice seal mortality
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States

Walrus with skin illness
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Ringed seal mortality
Uelen, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Stranded seal
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Ringed seal mortality

Ringed seal mortality
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Ice Seal Mortality
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Ringed Seal Mortality
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Ringed Seal Mortality
Wainwright, Alaska, United States

Stranded ringed seals
Gambell, Alaska, United States

Ringed seals
Lorino, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus)
Orkney, Scotland, United Kingdom

Seal Pup Found near Port Heiden
Unknown seal pup found near Port Heiden.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Dead seals mystery not solved by scientists' tests
Scientists say they've been unable to solve the mystery of dead seals that washed ashore in Labrador between December and January.
CBC News

Seals are shedding
Arviat, Nunavut

Ringed Seals (Phoca hispida) & Spotted Seals (Phoca largha)
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Ringed seals
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Dead Seals
Sanikiluaq, Nunavut

Strange seal behavior
Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut

Strange seal behavior
Churchill Manitoba

Sick seals

Sick Seals
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada

Sick Seals
Coral Harbor, Nunavut, Canada

Permafrost Thaw Threatens Ice Cellars
Arctic food storage system at risk.
Point Hope, Alaska, United States
Jacob Bell, Ryan Brubaker, Mike Brubaker

First Elephant Seal Born at Race Rocks
Ryan has observed a lot of aggression on the part of the young male which had previously been named Misery by Mike Slater. The baby was born beside the helicopter pad, and has spent the first day t…
Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, British Columbia, Canada
Race Rocks Ecological Reserve- Marine mammals, seabirds

Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) swallowing sand and pebbles
I observed some of the sea lions scooping up small rocks and sand (mostly shell carbonates) and swallowing them.
Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada

Too Many Sea Otters?
Some want to be able to kill them again off BC's coast. Part one of a Tyee special report.
Chesterman Beach, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Se observó una ballena gris albina
Laguna Ojo de Liebre, Baja California Sur
Reserva de la Biósfera El Vizcaíno Guerrero Negro

Spotted seal

California Sea Lions Venture North: Arctic Science Journeys Radio
That's right, California sea lions. As populations of native Steller sea lions decline, Maniscalco says a growing number of California sea lions are showing up on Steller sea lion rookeries and haul-outs across the state. According to his research, some 33 sightings have been recorded. And some of those California sea lions have made their way as far west as the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea.
Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea, United States
Arctic Science Journeys Radio
Doug Schneider, Alaska Sea Grant Program, UAF

Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)

Ringed seal
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Canada's AG warns Nunavut about dangers of not having a climate change action plan
Nunavut is not prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change and doesn't have a plan to deal with them, according to the latest report by Canada's auditor general.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC News

Polar bear that walked unprecedented 1,000 km south from Arctic habitat is caught in Yakutia
A young polar bear, likely female, was lured into a specially-made cage by a stack of fish splashed with fish oil after it held a village of Dzhebariki-Khaya under a brief siege. The emaciated predator was stealing dog food and attacking villagers hours before it was snared.
Dzhebariki-Khaya, Sakha, Russia
Siberian Times

Australia: Rescuers rush to get stranded whales into the sea
Around 160 long-finned pilot whales washed up on the western Australian coast.Pia Courtis, from PWS said in a statement that a number of rescue agencies were trying to help but "unfortunately the outcome for our pilot whales once they strand on the beach is generally not good."
Dunsborough, Western Australia, Australia

Officials warn Iqaluit residents after possible polar bear sighting at territorial park
Officials are investigating a report that a polar bear was sighted at Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park in Iqaluit.
CBC

Concern for native dolphins after mysterious surge in strandings
"Dolphin strandings have more than tripled in recent years with more than 70 animals washed up dead or dying on Irish beaches since the start of the year."
Ireland
independent

North Slope communities are seeing more polar bears this year
From Point Hope to Kaktovik, North Slope communities saw anywhere from 10 to 15 bears in each village this winter. For the most part, bears are not going into the villages, but in some cases, they come close enough for people to take photos and sometimes, people come too close.
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Thousands of walruses have settled on a rookery near Tiutei Yaha
On the walrus rookery located at the mouth of the Yamal river Tiutey-Yakha in 2022, up to 4,000 individuals were concentrated at a time. According to scientists, the number of adults and young Atlantic walruses has increased.
Goarctic.ru

Unique behavior with polar bear sow and cub was registered by scientists
The female and cub left the family den a month earlier than usual, which is extremely atypical for these animals. Experts consider this case to be unique - they have not yet encountered such behavior of polar predators.
Wrangall Island Nature Reserve
Prochukotku.ru

Trichinella alert for Sanikiluaq
The Department of Health is advising residents of Sanikiluaq that a walrus harvested on September 19, 2022, has tested positive for trichinella.
Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Canada

Polar bear sightings prompt North Slope officials to encourage precautions among residents
Officials are encouraging the public to be safe, report polar bears in the area and never approach the animals, which can be “dangerous and unpredictable.”

Beluga whalers in Northwest Alaska, North Slope boast a great 2021 season
With relatively calm summer weather, an Utqiagvik crew landed at least 11 beluga whales this season, Wainwright was lucky to caught 50, and Kotzebue Sound saw the second-highest harvest in more than a decade, according to local hunters.

France mulls rescue plan for whale in River Seine
They say the animal is currently near a lock at Vernon, about 70km (43 miles) north-west of Paris.Experts are puzzled as to why the animal has strayed so far south from its natural habitat.
Vernon, Normandy, France
BBC News

Scientists Find Worrisome Lesions on Endangered Southern Resident Orcas
The peer-reviewed research published this week in the Public Library of Science suggests that 99% of the orcas studied had photographic evidence of skin lesions. Researchers evaluated photos from nearly 20,000 orca sightings from 2004 to 2016, finding that lesions — often gray patches and gray targets on the orcas' skin — generally became more prevalent over time.
Seattle, Washington, United States
The Daily Chronicle

Lack of food drives away southern resident killer whales
The southern resident killer whales who returned to their traditional summer feeding grounds in the Salish Sea on Tuesday and Wednesday after a long absence have apparently left again, and although most of the members of J-, K- and L-Pods appeared to be healthy, at least one may be close to starvation.
Salish Sea
Times Colonist

Helicopter deployed to scare aggressive polar bears from reindeer settlements on Yamal peninsula
Seven polar bears, including a wounded mother bear with two cubs, were scared away by rescuers after they got dangerously close to reindeer herders at several locations on the Yamal peninsula. There are concern over rising numbers of the Arctic’s largest predators leaving their natural habitat and coming closer to humans.
Siberian Times

A record number of Atlantic walruses recorded in the Russian Arctic
According to preliminary data, more than seven thousand walruses were recorded, which is two times as many as last year. This was also when the largest walrus habitat in the history of Arctic exploration was found on the northernmost island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, the Eva-Liv island.
Franz Josef Land
The Independent Barents Observer

Spring bounty: Utqiagvik landed 10 whales in less than two weeks
This early in spring, the season usually only starts, but the weather patterns have been changing, and so has been the harvest time, Donovan said.
The Arctic Sounder

Lone beluga whale spotted on Yukon River near Tanana
Spirit camp participants and residents along the Yukon River were shocked to see a lone beluga whale on the Yukon River in early August.
Rampart, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Walruses held captive by Killer whales near Provideniya
A group of about 30 walruses have been observed by residents of providence village in Emma Bay for the past few days. As the specialists of the Beringia National Park specified, killer whales drove marine mammals there, Chukotka news agency reports.
Provideniya, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Prochukotku

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