Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services

28/01/2025

Presenting our findings on Cook Inlet Beluga Whales at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium

18/11/2024

Biologists said they weren’t sure why the animal died, and planned to continue their examination on Monday..

14/11/2024

Attention Necropsy Volunteers!

We unfortunately need to postpone our December South Central Necropsy Volunteer training due a delay in getting our federal funding. Mark you calendars for the new training date February 8, 2025.

There will be 10 in-person spots and a virtual option. 

Sign-up sheet will go out to our volunteer list in January via email. 

If you are not on the email list and would like to be, please email [email protected] to be added.

Activity pictured was performed under US Fish and Wildlife Service permit MAPER0032559 

24/10/2024

On October 1, there was a report of a Cook Inlet beluga whale entangled in debris. The whale was last seen swimming east in upper Knik Arm on October 2 around 4 p.m.

Read about how agencies, businesses, organizations, and the local community joined together to create a response plan. https://bit.ly/3Un62Nj

The observer team monitored upper Cook Inlet, but after 80 hours without sightings, the response was canceled. Field biologists will continue to search for the whale during regular monitoring. If spotted, they will assess whether a safe response is possible, though colder weather and changing conditions may pose challenges. Efforts to locate the whale and explore future response options will continue.

Photo Credit: Drew Lenz, 61 North Environmental, used with permission.

04/10/2024

If you see this beluga, please call the NOAA hotline

An entangled Cook Inlet beluga has been spotted swimming with the tide in Knik Arm.

24/09/2024

SAVE the DATE: Southcental Volunteer Necropsy Training will take place December 7th, 2024 from 9:30a-3:30p at UA Anchorage. All current and prospective volunteers are encouraged to attend. We will have 10 in-person spots and a virtual option. Stay tuned for signup information.

22/07/2024

Congrats to former AVPS employee Sonia Kumar for her recent publication on acoustic monitoring of Cook in the belugas in the Kenai and Kasilof rivers!

17/07/2024

Very cool research!

Scientists have found where endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales feed in winter for the first time. Whales were recorded foraging in Tuxedni Bay and River from September to May, some of the most undisturbed sections of their critical habitat.

This discovery provides important data to NOAA Fisheries for protecting and recovering these whales. Using underwater microphones placed at the bottom of river banks in lower Cook Inlet, scientists identified this critical feeding habitat.

Read more about this research:
https://bit.ly/4641Zd8

20/06/2024

04/06/2024

28/03/2024

Our paper on the pathology findings in Eastern Pacific gray whales that died during an unusual mortality event (UME) that occurred between 2019 and 2022 has finally been published by PlosOne. This UME reduced the population by approximately half from over 27,000 to around 14,000.

Beginning in December 2018, increased numbers of gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) strandings were reported along the west coast of Mexico, the United States, and Canada, prompting declaration of a gray whale Unusual Mortality Event (UME) by the United States National Marine Fisheries Service. Alth...