Whales in the western Gulf of Alaska have been dying at an alarming rate, and federal investigators are stumped as to why.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this week that at least 30 large whales have died in Alaska since May, declaring it the first "unusual mortality event" for large whales ever declared in the state, according to CNN.
So far the whales that have been found dead include 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale, and four unidentified cetaceans. This stands in stark contrast to the meager five dead whales that were reported throughout all of last year.
"NOAA Fisheries scientists and partners are very concerned about the large number of whales stranding in the western Gulf of Alaska in recent months," Dr. Teri Rowles, NOAA Fisheries' marine mammal health and stranding response coordinator, said in a news release, according to the Huffington Post.
The unusual deaths have also been noted by authorities in the Canadian province of British Columbia, who also took notice of widespread deaths among common murres, a species of bird, along the Alaska Peninsula.
What's causing the deaths is unknown, the agency said, noting samples are being collected to test for bacteria, virus and bio-toxins like algae that might be responsible.
"Bio-toxins will be one of the top priorities, but not the only priority that we'll be looking at to rule in or rule out whether it's playing a role in this death investigation and these mortalities, both in Canada and the U.S.," Rowles said to the Alaska Dispatch News.
So far, the corpse of only one Alaska whale has been tested and most of the carcasses have been floating and couldn't be retrieved, the NOAA said. They also mention that it could take months or even years before the investigation yields definitive results.
The agency has released a map showing where the carcasses have been spotted with a large concentration of them located in the Kodiak area.
NOAA asks that anyone who spots a dead whale or a living distressed whale call the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at 877-925-7773, or contact the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16.
