The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

In Hot Water - The video arrived as a text in my inbox. It showed a small whale, tail thrashing as it tried desperately to find its way to deeper water. The videographer, a friend of mine with a cabin on MacDonald Spit, had rushed to the scene, amazed at the sight of this huge, distressed animal in her backyard.

On that day, July 17th, the low tide in Kasitsna Bay was +2 feet. Not that extreme, but low enough that parts of the bay would become completely dry. With the tide quickly receding, there was no escape for the whale.

On the beach, a response plan began to take shape. The Marine Mammals Stranding Network was alerted and a trained responder came in from Seldovia. For the next six hours, a small rescue party used a bucket brigade and wet sheets to keep the 15-foot minke whale cool. The event was covered by KBBI in Seward, and the story had a happy ending with the little minke swimming back to Kachemak Bay.

Other stories this month, however, have not been so cheery. According to Steve Payton, Environmental Manager with the Seldovia Tribe, a number of marine mammal events have recently been reported in the area. Strandings of three gray whales also made news in Kodiak, raising more questions about the cause, and safety of the marine environment.

Two weeks earlier, the Peninsula Clarion had published an article warning about 'bloom levels' of Pseudo-nitzschia, a marine diatom which can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning. In more southern regions, the toxin, known as 'domoic acid,' has become a regular summer occurrence, causing die-offs of birds and marine mammals. Here in Alaska, it is paralytic shellfish poisoning that is common, so the emergence of a southern toxin with amnesic effects has been a big concern.

The causes of these strandings are still in question, but environmental impacts related to warming oceans are a common thread. Elsewhere around the North, events related to water level and water temperature were reported in Norway, Finland, Canada, and the Russian area of the Caspian Sea. The message - the waters are changing, looking different, feeling different, and bringing new stressors for wildlife and public health.

You can read about some of these events here, and more on the LEO Network. On July 20th, we had our own marine stranding experience, finding the carcass of another whale on MacDonald Spit. It was not the minke but rather a much larger gray whale. It will be a constant reminder throughout the year about the consequences of our warming seas.

Mike Brubaker – Editor

	Beached Seldovia whale returns alive to Kachemak Bay Seldovia, Alaska, United States Ashlyn O'Hara / KBBI AM 890 / July 17, 2025 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. Read article on KBBI AM 890
	Marine Heatwave in Norway – Extreme Sea Temperature Trøndelag, Norway Jan-Erik Wilthil / NRK / July 1, 2025 Sea surface temperatures off Norway have reached 22–23 °C, at least five degrees above normal, marking a marine heatwave that risks stressing marine life and intensifying extreme weather. Read article on NRK
	Waters Have Warmed Rapidly in Lapland – “I Don’t Remember the Last Time I’ve Seen So Many People on the Beach” Lapland, Finland Heta Lohela / Lapin Kansa / July 17, 2025 Lake and river surface waters in Lapland have warmed rapidly due to recent heatwaves, reaching up to 5°C above average and attracting more beach visitors than usual. Read article on Lapin Kansa
	Blue-green algae blooms intensify as heatwave continues across Finland Various coastal regions, Finland Yle News / Yle News / July 24, 2025 A persistent heatwave in Finland is fueling dense blue-green algae blooms in the Baltic Sea’s Gulf of Finland and Archipelago Sea, with freshwater sightings remaining stable. Read article on Yle News
	Rare leatherback sea turtle spotted in B.C. waters in once-in-a-decade sighting Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada Jeff Lawrence / CHEK News / July 14, 2025 A leatherback sea turtle was filmed near Haida Gwaii on July 14, marking the first verified sighting in B.C. waters in 2025. Read article on CHEK News
	No doubt there's a drought — scientist says N.L. water levels are historically low Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Maddie Ryan / CBC News / July 23, 2025 Water levels across Newfoundland are at record lows due to an ongoing drought and rising temperatures driven by climate change, leading to river closures and drying wells. Read article on CBC News
	Caspian Sea Water Levels Drop to Historic Low Caspian Sea The Moscow Times / The Moscow Times / July 24, 2025 Water levels in the Caspian Sea have fallen to more than 29 meters below the Baltic Sea reference point, a historic low, exposing large areas of seabed in the northern region and threatening its ecosystems. Read article on The Moscow Times
	Mjøsa and the Lågen are especially green this summer Lillehammer, Innlandet, Norway Sigrid Grøndalen Ingvaldsen / NRK / July 25, 2025 The waters of Mjøsa and the Gudbrandsdalslågen River in Innlandet, Norway, have turned an unusually intense blue-green color this summer due to glacial meltwater carrying fine rock particles. Read article on NRK
	Emergency services warn of iceberg near the harbour Innaarsuit, Avannaata, Greenland Kassaaluk Kristensen / Sermitsiaq / July 10, 2025 Avannaata emergency services warn residents in Innaarsuit to avoid gathering near the harbour shop due to risk of iceberg calving triggering large waves. Read article on Sermitsiaq
	Tyva Declares State of Emergency Over Growing Wildfires Tyva Republic, Russia The Moscow Times / The Moscow Times / July 22, 2025 Authorities in Russia’s Tyva Republic declared a state of emergency after eight wildfires grew to over 324 hectares, banning public entry to forests. Read article on The Moscow Times

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news coverage from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for paying attention to our changing world.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern Climate Observer is published weekly by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
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