Qaiyaan Harcharek was hunting bowhead whales during the early spring of 2007, when he observed a humpback whale in the waters of Utqiagivik the city he grew up in and the nation’s furthest north community.
The hunter and his companions were “boating and boating boating for a long time,” traveling towards the spot in which a whale was spouting from its blowhole. Then they encountered a humpback whale within the Beaufort Sea, well north of where the species normally is found.
“It ought to have been a bowhead since there’s nothing else on display at that time of the year.” Harcharek said
This is not the case anymore. Humpback whales, which are more commonly seen in the oceans between the tropical regions as well as the Bering Sea can now be seen throughout the Alaskan Arctic waters.
A recent research that was co-authored with Harcharek analyzes the number of sightings that have occurred since his encounter in 2007 and it reveals how they have been increasing dramatically.
Surveys conducted from 2009 through 2019 by the NOA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center tallied 150 sightings of 220 humpback whales within the Arctic waters. This includes double the amount of sightings between 2017 and 2019 than in the previous three years.
The majority of humpbacks could be observed between the ages of 67 and 68 degrees North the latitude that is about north of Kotzebue according to the information. It is possible that there is some kind of hotspot for feeding close to in the Inupiat Village located in Point Hope that is drawing huge number of humpback whales the the lead researcher Kate Stafford of Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute.
Further north Harcharek’s experience with a whale whale was one of the first recorded in the waters off Utqiagvik The total number of sightings aren’t as many, but there has been an rise over the last few years. The data collected through the north slope Borough’s Department of Wildlife Management shows that between 2020 and 2022, there were six close-shore encounters with humpback whales within the north-western waters, with some involving more than one animal, according to the study. In a single incident in 2022, ten humpback whales were observed breaking up and flapping their pectoral fins over the water.
Harcharek Harcharek, who claims the humpback whale is “darn close each time I’m on a boat,” has mixed feelings regarding the latest arrivals.
“It’s amazing to observe new species. We don’t yet know what impact it’s likely to have on whales that we rely on from,” the scientist said. “It’s fascinating. It’s interesting. It’s also a bit scary because we depend on the bowhead many things.”
The impetus of the investigation, Stafford said, was the 2021 boat survey conducted by his late colleague Craig George, the renowned whale biologist who was employed for many years at the department of wildlife at North Slope Borough. They were watching a whale feed within the Beaufort Sea that they assumed was bowhead. When they looked closer, she explained they saw the distinct fin of the Humpback whale.
This led to an investigation of the records maintained by the borough, and discussions in consultation with Inupiat residents. They were keen to discuss their experiences with George, Stafford said.
“Of of course, Craig was the go-to person whenever people noticed something that was interesting,” she said. “Because people believed in him for their knowledge and observations, and also because he listened to them with respect and attention, people would go to Craig.”
Bowhead whales, sporting massive skulls shaped like bows, which can smash through the ice they have developed to flourish throughout Arctic waters. Arctic. Inupiat hunting traditions target bowheads and also belugas, an additional Arctic-dwelling species.
There are five populations from North Pacific humpback whales, three of them residing on Alaska waters. They are most often seen throughout Southeast as well as Southcentral Alaska and the Bering Sea. They have been known to extend as far to the northern Chukchi Sea, above the Bering Strait, but these appearances were regarded as rare until recently.
The study, which was that was published in Marine Mammal Science, shows how the range has widened further north.
One possible reason for the growth of sea ice, as the study stated, is the impact of climate change. The long-term warming trend has decreased Arctic sea glaciers not just during the summer melt period but as the previous year’s records show, throughout the entire year.
If the lack of sea ice the reason Humpback whales aren’t the only species that are taking advantage of expanding northward. Studies in the past have revealed that killer whales are becoming more prevalent in Arctic waters that bowheads use. One study conducted by George and published in the year 2017, tracked trends for injuries on the bodies of bowheads harvested for harvest and revealed rising incidences of bite marks caused by killer whales The study was published in 2020, gave explicit proof of killer whales pinning on Arctic bowheads.
Another aspect that could be involved, which is linked to climate change could be warming-driven changes to the food web, which created more favorable conditions for foraging to humpback whales Stafford added.
Another explanation could be the continuous growth within population of the North Pacific humpback population, she added.
Humpbacks have thriving enough in recent times that they are now considered to be part of endangered or threatened species. In the past all humpback whales in the world were listed as endangered however in 2016, NOAA Fisheries identified 14 “distinct populations” and concluded they were not endangered. Endangered Species Act protections were not necessary for the majority of these.
From the 3 distinct population groups that are found in Alaska waters One of them is classified as endangered, the other as threatened, and the third, that winters in Hawaii does not have any Endangered List under the Species Act.
George passed away in July after a rafting incident close to Denali National Park and Preserve. The study that was recently published may not be the last study to be named after him as a researcher because of his work prior to the time of his passing, Harcharek said.
“Honestly I wouldn’t be shocked if there was more job. Even though he was retired there was no way he could become completely retired,” he said.
George’s passing hit Utqiagvik very hard, Harcharek said. “I’ve known him for the entirety of my time,” he said. “I’m sad. It’s a pain at the moment. We’ve just lost an entire the most comprehensive reference book on whales and the ecosystems they inhabit. This is not even counting the incredible individual he was.”
This article first appeared in Alaska Beacon and is republished here with permission.
