Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership

The Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program relies on volunteers to track endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales entering and exiting the rivers. Observations are reported to NOAA.

Every spring, trained volunteers watch the Kenai and Kasilof rivers to spot the critically endangered whales and record observations for researchers. The spring monitoring season started March 15.

Those who live close to the Kenai and Kasilof rivers know belugas sometimes feed there. But it’s been a mystery how many whales actually travel through…