In a recent post, I described my serendipitous sighting of beluga whales while walking along the Coastal Trail. What I didn’t mention then, but what I’d like to share now (with the blessing of the program’s chief organizer), is my participation in a coordinated effort to monitor and document the presence – or absence – of belugas along Anchorage’s coastline. Off and on throughout the summer, I’ve sat atop a bluff near the Kincaid Motocross site with two or three other “citizen scientists,” looking for belugas.

Started as an experiment last fall, the Anchorage Coastal Beluga Survey is the brainchild of Barbara Carlson, a long-time Anchorage resident who is also the driving force behind a group called FAR, Friends of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. My guess is that many locals don’t even know we have a wildlife refuge along the city’s western edges, but in fact this state-managed preserve stretches some 16 miles and is seasonally inhabited by more than 120 species of birds plus assorted fish and mammals. The latter include belugas, which sometimes pass through refuge waters at high tide and occasionally swim up the lower reaches of Campbell Creek (where it curves through the coastal flats), and whose bodies now and then wash up on shore. In a recent conversation, Carlson told me that something like 20 beluga carcasses have been found along local shores over the past decade or so, a shocking piece of information. She also notes that not so long ago, belugas were seen more frequently along Anchorage’s coastline during the summer months than they are now.

FAR’s members and other refuge stewards have noted and shared beluga observations for about the last ten years, and the survey is a natural outgrowth of those efforts.

Carlson’s attachment to the refuge (she lives on the bluffs that overlook it), combined with her concern for Cook Inlet’s belugas – which as any informed Anchorage resident should know, are now officially listed as an endangered species – inspired her to start this citizen-survey program. Last fall she finally got it underway, with the help of several cooperative groups, including Defenders of Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service, the agency responsible for studying and managing the belugas.

The endangered listing of Cook Inlet belugas has stirred up some opposition, particularly from pro-development, pro-business interests, but all available evidence suggests that these isolated and genetically distinct whales are at risk of extinction unless special measures are taken to protect it.

Among other things, the endangered species listing requires NMFS (the research arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to identify critical habitat throughout Cook Inlet. To do that, researchers have to learn more about the whales’ seasonal habits and distribution. The survey’s participants are gathering information that will help federal researchers and managers better understand – and protect – Cook Inlet’s unique population of whales. Volunteers include federal agency employees, independent biologists, naturalists, and conservationists, which Carlson says is “proof positive” of a successful, apolitical effort.

After being schooled about belugas and the survey methods at mandatory training sessions, participants join survey teams at one of two spots: the aforementioned Kincaid site; and a location near the port of Anchorage. For two hours at a time, three- or four-person teams keep watch for any signs of belugas and record their observations. (Additional sites will be added if and when there are sufficient volunteers and resources to “staff” those locations.)

Last fall, a survey team on which I participated spotted a pod of belugas within five minutes of beginning our shift. You can imagine our surprise and delight and enthusiasm, to be able to watch and record their presence, barely into our watch. Before winter’s arrival ended the experiment I participated in two different “watches” and each time we saw whales.

This summer has been a completely different story. Belugas have been few and far between (which might simply reflect seasonal differences in where the whales “hang out” within the inlet). In fact only one group of volunteers has seen even a single beluga during the officially designated survey periods, though several of us have observed the whales at other times, for instance my walk along the Coastal Trail.

Carlson has emphasized that our failure to observe whales provides valuable data to NMFS and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory with which it works closely, though time spent looking at Cook Inlet’s waters without seeing whales is not nearly as exciting or fun as spending time in their company, even from a distance.

Barbara continues to seek additional citizen volunteers. Those who would like to help are urged to contact her at beluga@farak.org. She will then provide additional information on the program and future training sessions. It’s a worthwhile effort, for those who care about the future of the northern white whales that inhabit the waters along Anchorage’s western edge.