Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services

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...

29/11/2023

Great job by the Kodiak stranding network responding to a very fresh fun whale! 👏

Volunteer researchers on Sunday collected parts from Kodiak’s second accessible beached whale of the year.

30/10/2023

Hello AVPS followers,

We are looking for scrap pieces of PVC  to build a custom boot drying rack for the lab. This wasn’t in our grant budget, but I’d still love to get it done this year. If anyone has any lying around, we’d love to take them off your hands! 1.5-3 inch diameter pieces are ideal, but will take anything.

thank you!

30/09/2023

It’s been a busy week for us! Here’s a few pictures of (part of) the stellar Kodiak crew that worked up a young humpback. Big whales are a ton of work! Thanks so much to everyone that came to help! All activities were performed under MMHSRP permit #24359.

25/09/2023

We got to go to the Alaska SeaLife center seal release. There were threeseals they had rehabbed. So many people showed up! It was a very festive fun event. Congrats Alaska SeaLife center!

23/09/2023

Counting belugas on the Kenai this morning

22/09/2023

02/09/2023

We need your HELP to find this large yellow barrel in Knik Arm asap.

One of the beluga research teams lost the barrel this morning during the high tide. It has vital research equipment in it critical for beluga monitoring. It was tied down on the Eagle River flats but the strong winds & tide had other ideas. Likely it is still drifting in Knik due to the strong southerly winds. It floats high so it might be easy to spot. The spool on top was also inside the barrel when lost. If you see it while out looking for belugas please let us know asap. Thank you community!

20/08/2023

Spirit camp participants and residents along the Yukon River were shocked to see a lone beluga whale on the Yukon River in early August.

04/08/2023

Here we go again … Off to Yakutat for a steller sea lion necropsy

MMHSRP permit #24359