Sunday 21 June 2015

Alaska researcher investigates multiple endangered fin whale deaths


Nine whales appear to have died at the same time, area

Date:June 19, 2015

Source:University of Alaska Fairbanks

Summary:At least nine fin whales have been discovered floating dead in waters from Kodiak to Unimak Pass since late May. 'It is an unusual and mysterious event that appears to have happened around Memorial Day weekend,' said a marine mammal specialist. 'We rarely see more than one fin whale carcass every couple of years.'

On May 23, Wynne received a message from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration enforcement officers that crew members on the Alaska Marine Highway System's ferry MV Kennicott had photographed dead whales. During the next two weeks, boaters, fishermen and pilots reported floating dead whales in the area. Based on photos submitted with these reports, Wynne and her NOAA collaborators determined that at least nine fin whales died in a relatively small area. The dead whales are now drifting along both sides of Kodiak Island.

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