NOAA Declares Deaths of Large Whales in Gulf of Alaska an Unusual Mortality Event

Bears feeding on a fin whale carcass in Larson Bay, Alaska, near Kodiak. Credit: NOAA

ALASKA–(ENEWSPF)–August 20, 2015.  NOAA is declaring the recent deaths of 30 large whales in the western Gulf of Alaska an “unusual mortality event,” triggering a focused, expert investigation into the cause. An unusual mortality event is a stranding event that is unexpected, involves a significant die-off of a marine mammal population, and demands immediate response.

Since May 2015, 11 fin…