Who needs the Endangered Species Act? Cook Inlet Belugas!
When do they need it? Now!
These unique white whales need the Endangered Species Act now more than ever to keep them swimming around Anchorage!
Cook Inlet belugas need the Endangered Species Act. Of the five Alaskan populations, the Cook Inlet beluga population is the smallest and most isolated from other beluga whales, and it was listed as endangered in 2008.
Living in waters right next to Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, these whales are exposed to a host of threats like noise pollution, habitat degradation, contaminants from construction, food limitations and boat traffic.
This death by a thousand cuts means it’s hard to pinpoint just one reason why the population has been declining at a rate of 2.3% each year. In the late 1970s, there are an estimated 1,300 belugas swimming down the Cook Inlet, and today there are under 300.
The Endangered Species Act combined with the Marine Mammal Protection Act, are helping to keep these charismatic white whales afloat by designating critical habitat, assessing oil and gas activities and continually monitoring this unique population. And that’s why –
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