Whales of Alaska have been studied by NOAA scientists for many years. For a third of a century, Dave Rugh flew in small aircraft, stood on sea cliffs, rode various ships, and spent a lot of time on sea ice documenting the abundance of whales around Alaska. This included the enigmatic bowhead whale, belugas (which are white whales) in Cook Inlet near Anchorage, and gray whales which migrate from the Arctic to Mexico's warm lagoons. (KPTZ airdate: April 16, 2025)

Learn more:
NOAA in Alaska

Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!