Winter Sighting of Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Yakutat-Disenchantment Bay, Alaska

On 19 February 1997, we made the first documented winter sighting of beluga whales in Yakutat-Disenchantment Bay, Alaska. We estimated that 10 individuals were swimming in ice-free, turbid water near the Hubbard Glacier. The sporadic record of belugas in the bay suggests they may be occasional visit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ARCTIC
Main Authors: Hubbard, Joel D., Hansen, Donald J., Mahoney, Barbara A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Arctic Institute of North America 1999
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64001
Description
Summary:On 19 February 1997, we made the first documented winter sighting of beluga whales in Yakutat-Disenchantment Bay, Alaska. We estimated that 10 individuals were swimming in ice-free, turbid water near the Hubbard Glacier. The sporadic record of belugas in the bay suggests they may be occasional visitors from the Cook Inlet population. Le 19 février 1997, nous avons pour la première fois enregistré la présence de bélougas en hiver dans la baie alaskienne de Yakutat-Disenchantment. On a estimé à 10 le nombre d'individus qui nageaient dans l'eau turbide libre de glace près du glacier Hubbard. La présence sporadique des bélougas dans la baie suggère qu'ils pourraient être des visiteurs occasionnels venant de la population du détroit de Cook.