Dead Whale

Observation by Aaron Merculief:

Two marine mammal carcasses were found left of the old dock, which is located next to the outer arm (south side) of the St. George Harbor. The whale's exact location is N 56*34.014' W 169*39.991'. The fur seal was located 19 ft. southeast from the whale and the exact location was: N 56*34.014' W 169*39.987'. I was informed of the beached whale today and went to the site to gather data. Photos and GPS locations were collected. It appears the whale has been rotting for some time--99% of all skin is gone on the whale and the head is missing. It looks like there was a small dorsal fin near the rear of the whale. I have tried using the internet to figure out the type of whale, but I just can't make it out. The fur seal looks to be 2-4 years of age and looks like its mid-section was attacked as the rest of the seal is still intact. There is a fur seal rookery near these sightings called South Rookery. I'm getting out information so if other dead mammals are spotted around the Pribilof Islands or the east coast of the Bering Sea, we could get a better understanding--if it's just an incident or an issue that needs to be looked into.

Barbara Mahony, Biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), writes:

They have completed review and the whale carcass can now be used for native crafts and/or traditional uses.

Resources:

Strandings can be reported to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. The hotline number at NMFS statewide 24-hour Stranding Hotline: (877) 9AK-RPRD or (877) 925-7773. Resource Information: National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region Office NOAA Fisheries.