Point Lay Beluga Whales
Satellite Tracking Point Lay Beluga Whales 1998 - 2008
In 1996, the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee, the North Slope Borough, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Village of Point Lay initiated a satellite telemetry project, with significant help from Point Lay hunters, at Point Lay, Alaska, to track the movements of Eastern Chukchi Sea beluga whales. Before the use of satellite telemetry, little was known about the distribution and movements of the Chukchi Sea belugas, aside from the weeks they spend near Point Lay in late June and early July. After several years of trying to capture Chukchi Sea belugas, five were captured and tagged in 1998. Five more were tagged in 1999. Most of the whales tagged in 1998 and 1999 were large males, so females and juveniles were targeted for tagging in 2001 and 2002. In 2000, Minerals Management Service joined the tagging project and contributed funding through the Coastal Marine Institute at University of Alaska Fairbanks. Eight more whales where tagged in 2001, and in 2002, five belugas were captured and tagged. (See below). The project was refunded in 2007, and three whales were tagged. (See below). Skin samples were collected from all tagged belugas, which NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center will analyze.
MAPS OF BELUGA LOCATIONS
Jim-Jim Tzruk holding a tagged beluga in a hoop net before release. Photos: NOAA Fisheries
Summer 2008: No whales were tagged at Point Lay in 2008, but whale #22149 (from 2007 tagging project) transmitted locations through December 2008, and whale #22149 transmitted until May 2008.
Summer 2007: Whales tagged in Kasegaluk Lagoon near Point Lay
- Tag 22149 (male), July 2007 - Dec. 2008:
- July 8, 2007
- Aug 4, 2007
- Aug 12, 2007
- Sept 14-24, 2007
- Oct 1 - 11, 2007
- Oct 29, 2007
- Nov 13, 2007
- Dec 3, 2007
- Dec 14, 2007
- Dec 29, 2007
- Jan 14, 2008
- Jan 26, 2008
- Feb 11, 2008
- March 7, 2008
- April 1, 2008
- April 14, 2008
- May 4, 2008
- May 28, 2008
- June 4, 2008
- June 18, 2008
- June 25, 2008
- Aug 18, 2008
- Sept 16, 2008
- Oct 8, 2008
- Nov 17, 2008
- Dec 4, 2008
Charles Aniskette, Nick Hank and Jim-Jim Tazruk of Point Lay during tagging operations in 2001.
- Tag 22149 (male), July 2007 - May 2008:
- Tag 36516 (female), July - Nov. 2007:
- Tag 77015 (female), July - Nov. 2007:
- July 8, 2007
- Aug 4, 2007
- Aug 12, 2007
- Sept 14-23, 2007
- Oct 1 - 11, 2007
- Oct 29, 2007 *Data appears to be inaccurate.
- Nov 13, 2007
- No signal
Summer - Fall 2002
Tagged near Point Lay
| Tagging Date | Whale Sex | Whale Length | Tag Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 7 | F | 320cm (10'6") | 11036 (spider tag) |
| July 7 | F | 368 cm (12'1") | 11042 * (side mount) |
| July 7 | M | 276 cm (9'1") | 11044 (spider tag) |
| July 7 | M | 274 cm (9'0") | 2090 (spot tag, side mount) |
| July 8 | M | 267 cm (8'9") | 2088 (side mount) |
2002 Whale Locations
- October 4, Active tag: 11044 stopped transmitting 9/30/02
- September 14, Active tags: 11036 and 11044.
- September 4, Active tags: 11036, 11044, 2088.
- August 26, All tags active except 11042 and 2090
- August 17, All tags active except 11042
- August 6, All tags active except 11042
- July 30, All tags active except 11042
- NOTE: Tag 11042 only gave locations through July 12.
More Tagging Locations and Results
1998-2002
2001
1998-1999
