Whales hold a deep and an outsized role in Alaska’s culture. The huge sea mammals are a centuries long mainstay of steady protein for Alaska Native communities and they invoke mystique and power for many Alaskans. A dead fin whale that washed up near Anchorage is bringing hundreds of spectators to the beach. What is the whale teaching biologists about the health of Alaska’s whale populations and by extension the health of oceans? We’ll learn more on this Talk of Alaska