Beached Seldovia whale returns alive to Kachemak Bay

A minke whale stranded on MacDonald Spit near Seldovia for six hours on July 17 but refloated with the rising tide and swam back into Kachemak Bay; the Seldovia Village Tribe suspects a toxic algal bloom disoriented the whale.

AI Comment from GPT 4.1:

Recent observations in Kachemak Bay and the Kodiak region suggest a concerning pattern of marine mammal strandings and mortalities. The recent detection of Pseudo-nitzschia blooms in Kachemak Bay, which can produce harmful domoic acid, aligns with reports of increased marine mammal strandings and deaths—similar to what was described in this post. While toxin production has not yet been confirmed, KBNERR and partners are actively monitoring shellfish and wildlife health. This potential link between harmful algal blooms and unusual marine mammal behavior has been a topic of heightened concern, especially as observers across Alaska and coastal regions have also reported elevated whale strandings and mortalities. For example, gray whale deaths around Kodiak have been documented this summer, with multiple causes suspected, from orca predation to signs of undernourishment, suggesting broader ecosystem stress. Internationally, similar incidents have been noted, such as the whale stranding at Vogar, Iceland, where biologists suggest climate-driven changes in prey distribution as a contributing factor. Together, these posts emphasize the importance of sustained monitoring and prompt reporting of marine mammal strandings, as ongoing environmental changes—whether due to harmful algae, shifting prey, or other factors—may be affecting whale and other marine mammal populations across the North Pacific and beyond.