Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) 



Humpback whales can be found, at certain times of the 

 year, in waters off Alaska, Hawaii, and the east and west 

 coasts of the U.S. mainland. In the past, the species was 

 over-exploited by commercial whaling and it is now 

 designated as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. 

 Commercial exploitation has been prohibited and no longer 

 constitutes a threat to the species. Subsistence hunting 

 off Greenland and other human activities, however, still 

 pose a threat to humpback whales. These include commercial 

 and recreational boating, offshore oil and gas development, 

 sport and commercial fisheries, and certain coastal 

 development. While the Commission has continued its efforts 

 to ensure protection of humpback whales in Hawaii and 

 elsewhere, its primary focus in 1982 concerned humpback 

 whales in Alaska. 



Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska 



The inland waters of the Glacier Bay National Park and 

 surrounding waters in southeast Alaska are used by a portion 

 of the North Pacific population of humpback whales during the 

 summer months. In 1978 and 1979, fewer whales entered the 

 Bay than had been the case during the previous ten years. It 

 was determined by the National Park Service, which has 

 management responsibility for the Glacier Bay National Park, 

 that the increasing number of vessels using the Bay might 

 be one reason for the absence of humpback whales. Thus, 

 in 1979, the Park Service established interim regulations 

 to restrict vessel traffic and, at the same time, initiated 

 consultations with the National Marine Fisheries Service to 

 determine whether additional actions might be necessary to 

 assure that whales were not adversely affected by vessel 

 traffic or other activities in the Bay. 



In October 197 9, a workshop on the issue was convened 

 by the Marine Mammal Commission, and in December of that 

 year, the National Marine Fisheries Service prepared and 

 issued a Biological Opinion. The findings in both instances 

 were recommendations that the National Park Service 

 undertake studies to: (1) characterize the food and feeding 

 behavior of humpback whales in Glacier Bay and surrounding 

 waters; (2) assess the acoustic characteristics of the Bay 

 and the vessels operating in the Bay; and (3) compare the 

 behavioral responses of whales to vessels in the Bay and in 

 other areas of southeast Alaska. In FY 1981, Congress 

 appropriated special funds to the National Park Service to 

 address the problem and these funds were transferred to the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service to support the recommended 

 studies . 



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