A dead whale the size of a school bus washed up along Anchorage’s Tony Knowles Coastal Trail on Saturday.
On Monday morning, dozens of people braved the numbing cold to see the frost-covered carcass resting on the frozen mudflats near Westchester Lagoon. The whale was lying on its side and its mouth was open so wide spectators were crawling inside the baleen to take photos.
That’s something Barbara Mahoney, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, does not encourage. She asked visitors to keep a safe distance from the whale as biologists try to learn more about it. So far they know it’s a 47-foot female fin whale. The agency got its first report about the carcass Saturday from the group Defenders of Wildlife.
“It’s in very good condition,” Mahoney said in an interview Monday. “It’s been cold out, so that’s probably helping.”
Fin whales are born at 21 to 25 feet long then grow to about 70 feet as adults, Mahoney said, which has led biologists to estimate that the whale was a yearling or juvenile when it died.
No major injuries have been found on the fin whale so far, Mahoney said, including any signs that it was struck by a ship.
“We do not know how or why this animal is on the beach,” she said.
On Monday morning, Anneliese Kupfrian was bundled in warm gear to see the whale. She was also here Sunday night, but said it was crowded with more than 100 people, so she decided to come back for another look.
She’s glad people are taking advantage of the rare sight.
“I think it’s kind of funny that this is just like the hype right now. Like, ‘Hey, have you heard about the whale? Go check it out. Like, get out there, get a picture,’” Kupfrian said. “How many opportunities do you have to have something wash up this close, right in town, for everyone to go see it, learn about it? Pretty cool community experience.”
Mahoney said fin whales are “semi-common” in the lower Cook Inlet, although their habitat extends throughout Alaska waters of the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean.
So far, Mahoney said biologists have made several measurements of the whale including its girth and tail length. They’ve also taken samples of its skin and blubber to assess its genetics and blubber thickness. Mahoney said biologists were attempting a full necropsy of the whale’s organs Monday afternoon, but frigid winds were freezing exposed flesh within the carcass.
According to Mahoney, beluga whale beachings are commonly reported in the Anchorage area, with beachings of larger whales less frequent.
“It does happen, but it’s very infrequent to have large whales in the upper Inlet swimming and/or beached,” she said.
In 2016, two fin whales were found dead in Southcentral Alaska waters. One was struck by a cruise ship and found on the ship’s bow when it docked in Seward. The other was beached in Knik Arm and later died.
Two humpback whales have beached in the area in recent years, including a carcass that washed ashore at Kincaid Park in September 2017. Both that carcass and another at nearby Point Campbell drew large crowds despite difficult treks to reach them, Mahoney said, which has left her unsurprised at locals’ interest in the fin whale.
“This is really pretty easy to get to: flat Coastal Trail, a little shuffle down off some rocks, and then you’re on the frozen beach,” she said.
Fin whales are protected under the Endangered Species Act, and federal law bars removing parts from the carcass. Mahoney asked visitors to remember potential dangers posed by the area – including the mudflats, which can soften to their quicksand-like summer texture under extensive foot traffic.
“It is Cook Inlet, and we need to be aware of the tides,” Mahoney said.
Back on the flats Monday morning, Cecilia Karoly-Lister took photos with her 2-year-old son and her dog alongside the whale carcass.
She said she’s grateful for the opportunity to take a closer look at the animal, but it’s also sad.
“It’s definitely sad. I’m really curious,” Karoly-Lister said. “Aesthetically, she’s stunning. I feel like it’s beautiful to see how her colors are perfectly mirrored in the mountains and the mud.”
Karoly-Lister said she’s interested to hear how and why the whale washed up so close to town.
