The endangered population continues to slip and calf numbers are few, but no single factor has been identified as the cause.
The beluga had a ruptured intestine probably related to parasites, which were found in the whale’s abdomen, lungs and kidneys, Burek said. The parasites likely led to an entanglement within a section of the intestines, leading it to rupture. “Very unusual,” Burek said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
Citizen scientists fill an important gap in helping understand when and how Cook Inlet belugas use the river.
A biennial NOAA survey in 2018 estimated the population of the white whales at 250 to 317.
Cook Inlet Keeper and the Center for Biological Diversity have sued the Federal Government over issuing permits to Hilcorp .
Cook Inlet beluga whales are swimming up the Kenai River earlier in the year and in greater numbers than previously estimated, according to new monitoring of the endangered species.
Observations From Members 