Officials at Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve are asking for the public’s help following a suspected vessel strike that left a humpback whale with a deep, fresh wound behind its dorsal fin.
The whale, identified as #2583, was first observed injured on June 27 by park biologist Janet Neilson near Willoughby Island. Neilson documented a deep, foot-long gash believed to be caused by a boat propeller. The injury, while not bleeding, exposed the whale’s blubber and appeared to be recent — possibly inflicted just hours earlier.
Despite the severity of the wound, Neilson reported that the adult whale, whose sex is unknown, was diving and behaving normally at the time of the sighting. #2583 has been tracked in Glacier Bay and Icy Strait since 2013 and was last seen healthy on June 16, indicating it had been in the area for at least several days before the incident.
Park biologists are consulting with marine mammal experts to assess the whale’s chances of recovery. The injury raises renewed concern about whale-vessel collisions, which have become increasingly frequent in nearby waters.
“This is not the first vessel strike this year,” park officials said in a statement. Just last week, another known adult female humpback, #1019, was found with a new shallow propeller wound near Pleasant Island in Icy Strait.
In 2023, Glacier Bay and surrounding waters recorded several whale-vessel collisions, two of which were fatal to the whales. The National Park Service (NPS) is intensifying its efforts to both monitor humpback whale populations and prevent future strikes.
Park Rules Aim to Reduce Collisions
Glacier Bay National Park enforces a range of regulations aimed at protecting whales from vessel strikes, including:
- Speed limits in “whale waters”, where vessels must travel at less than 13 knots in areas frequented by whales.
- A ¼ nautical mile minimum distance rule for all vessels approaching humpback whales. If a vessel finds itself closer, it must slow to 10 knots or less.
- In lower bay feeding zones, vessels are often prohibited from operating within 1 mile of shore.
- A Whale Alert Alaska program, which helps cruise ships and pilots anticipate whale locations and adjust speed or assign additional lookouts accordingly.
These rules are implemented under Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Subpart N, and are based on real-time data collected by the park’s humpback whale monitoring program.
Public Urged to Report Information
Anyone who may have information about the incident involving whale #2583 is urged to contact Glacier Bay National Park at 907-697-2230.
Boaters are reminded to check whale waters designations before entering Glacier Bay by calling 907-697-2627 or contacting KWM20 Bartlett Cove on marine VHF radio. Mariners are also encouraged to navigate cautiously in areas where whales may be present, as whales often surface unpredictably and pose hazards to both themselves and vessels.
“Preventing whale strikes is critical to protecting these iconic and long-lived marine mammals,” park officials emphasized.
