This photo was taken on the Nushagak River, downriver about 15-20 miles from Ekwok, Alaska. (Jon Sharp/NOAA) |
Three Orca whales have been lingering miles up Nushagak River in Southwest Alaska for weeks, the first known report of killer whales traveling in a freshwater river in Alaska.
According to NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service spokesperson Julie Speegle, for years Dillingham locals have reported killer whales in the tidal waters where the Nushagak River meets Bristol Bay during the fall, but this is the only time they've been seen above the tidal influence area.
The barnacle-encrusted whales were last seen downriver from Ekwok, in a split between two channels of the river. So far, it’s unclear why the whales have traveled so far -- about 30 miles -- up the Nushagak.
NOAA officials are asking the public to stay away from the whales, which they say have been lingering there for up to three weeks.
Biologists think the whales are likely are stressed by being in fresh water and outside of their usual habitat, and are “consulting with experts to determine if the whales need intervention as the river level continues to drop,” according to a NOAA statement.
