The Heart of Alaska: Wondrous Whales

From the Inside Passage to Resurrection Bay, Prince William Sound and beyond, Alaska's cold waters sustain abundant marine mammals, including eight different whale species. At home in the Alaskan seas we find beluga, blue, bowhead, gray, humpback, minke, fin and sperm whales, as well as orcas and other porpoise species, which are also cetaceans. Expedition Leader Annie Van Dinther lives in Homer, Alaska, which lies on Kachemak Bay. The bay, which is Annie's "backyard," is often frequented by whales, and they have long been a focus of her interest and expertise as a naturalist Expedition Leader. Whales make a remarkable contribution to the marine ecosystem, and Annie reveals why they are known as the gardeners and composters of the ocean. Learn why baleen whales—which filter plankton through bony plates in the mouth, rather than using teeth—are especially important as ecosystem managers. You'll come away from this webinar fascinated and awestruck by the role whales play in Alaska's wild environment.


Originally presented September 24, 2020