Cook Inlet Beluga Strandings 1987-2012: Description and Retrospective Analysis of Level A Data

The factors limiting the recovery of the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale are not well understood, although stranding events have been identified as a significant threat. Descriptive statistics and a retrospective analysis was conducted of basic Level A data (date, location, gender, age class) gathered from stranding events during 1987-2012.

Recommended actions include:

• further exploration of the abnormal years for strandings outlined in this report
• standardization of age classes
• finishing gender determination of suitable samples
• increased public education to report strandings
• modeling of drift, immersion and decomposition rates to better approximate location and date of death
• an estimation of carcass recovery rate to better understand Cook Inlet beluga whale mortality rates.