Defenders' Experts
Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Background and Recovery
The beluga whale inhabits the cold waters of the Arctic and sub-Arctic. It’s name, derived from the Russian word, “beloye”, means white. Belugas, because of their variety of vocalizations, have been dubbed the “canaries of the sea”.
Cook Inlet belugas are the southernmost and by far the smallest of Alaska’s five beluga populations, separated from the others by the geographic barrier of the Alaska Peninsula—resulting in a genetically separate population. These belugas live in one of the most populated -- and fastest growing -- regions in Alaska.
Sewage and polluted run-off pour directly into the beluga’s home. Planned development projects threaten to fill in over 135 acres of beluga whale habitat. The region’s oil industry also threatens this fragile population with toxic waste, routine spills and leaks, and seismic blasting.
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