Rare whale washes up at Tutka Bay, Alaska

• A Stejneger’s beaked whale is a true rarity for these waters
By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune

A rare whale found floating dead in Tutka Bay last week may be from the group of poorly understood Stejneger’s beaked whales.

Photos By Rick Harness/A Seaside Adventure – A Stejneger Whale was discovered in Tutka Bay by resident Dave Seaman. A necropsy was performed to learn more about the whale and cause of death.

If so, Prof. Debbie Boege-Tobin and her students enrolled in the Semester By the Bay program at the University of Alaska’s Kachemak Bay Campus are bestowed with an unusual opportunity.
Boege-Tobin, and three students, were able to observe the necropsy of the whale on Saturday. They gained an up close and personal look at the 13-foot adult female whose cause of death is unknown.
Dave Seaman, a local boat wright, was …. Read More…

homertribune.com

Photos By Rachael Rooney/Marine Biology Student – The semi-decomposed whale’s fin bears a close resemblance to that of a human hand.

Fair Use: Educational