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National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional Office

Beluga Whales - Satellite Tracking Bristol Bay Beluga Whales

Tracking Belugas in Bristol Bay - 2003

Satellite tags were attached to five adult belugas in Bristol Bay, Kvichak River, Alaska, May 9-13, 2003, to monitor their summer movements into the fall. This is the second satellite tagging project on belugas in Bristol Bay and is a cooperative research project between the Bristol Bay Native Association-Bristol Bay Marine Mammal Commission (BBMMC), the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee (ABWC), the Native Village of Levelock, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Skin was collected from all five belugas, which NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center will analyze with other Bristol Bay beluga skin samples collected by ABWC hunters.

Maps of Tagged Beluga Locations



Myra and Scott Olsen from Egegik with tagged beluga
Myra Olsen, Chairman of the Bristol Bay Marine Mammal Council, and Scott Olsen from Egegik with a tagged beluga



spider tag on beluga
Spider satellite tag

More Information

Date Beluga Tagged Sex Length Tag Number
May 9, 2003 M 418 cm (13' 9") 22149 spider
May 10, 2003 F 325 cm (10' 8") 22117 side mount tag
May 11, 2003 M 348 cm (11' 5") 2087 side mount tag
May 13, 2003 M 414 cm (13' 7") 2284 saddle tag
May 13, 2003 M 371 (12' 2") 11039 saddle tag


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