Description
Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) are managed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act due to depletion by commercial whaling during the late 1800s. Bowheads are an important subsistence and cultural resource for coastal people of northern Alaska. Until recently, the entire Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort stock was thought to migrate through the Beaufort Sea twice annually: during their eastward, spring migration and their westward, fall migration. Recent summer sightings indicate some bowheads may stay in the Bering and Chukchi Seas and not enter the Beaufort at all. The importance of the Beaufort Sea for feeding is also in question due to conflicting study results.
