Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
November 2003

Alaska's Population of Bowhead Whales Rebounding

By Riley Woodford

Bowhead whales, once hunted to the brink of extinction by commercial whalers, are on the rebound in Alaska. The population in Alaska waters - representing about 90 percent of the world's entire population of bowhead whales - is now estimated to be at about 10,000 animals and growing.

The Alaska population, known as the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Sea stock, is one of the world's five stocks of bowhead whales. The other stocks swim the frigid waters of Canada and Greenland, Hudson Bay and the ...   Bowhead Whales ArticleContinued

Alaska's Peregrine Falcons:

By Riley Woodford

Silhouetted against an overcast autumn sky, the shifting V-shape of southbound geese embodies migration. Many of Alaska's hawks and falcons also migrate, but traveling singly or as small family groups, they don't advertise their departure from the north as dramatically.

Alaska's peregrine falcons are among the world's greatest long-distance migrants, flying deep into South America. Peregrines from Northern Alaska have been documented wintering as far south as Chile and Argentina. After ...   Peregrine Falcons ArticleContinued

Kids and Caribou

By Sue Steinacher

Teenagers can be a tough audience to impress. The students from northwestern Alaska let it be known they'd seen plenty of caribou, and had been riding in boats and camping all their lives. So coming to a place called Onion Portage, downriver from Ambler on the Kobuk River, didn't seem like such a big deal - even to help with an Alaska Department of Fish and Game caribou-collaring project.

But that all changed once they got their hands on a live caribou.

For over 20 years, ADF&G ...   Kids and Caribou ArticleContinued