Recovery Plan for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration December 2016 Cover photo is a composite of two photographs and was created specifically for this document. Use by permission only: Anchorage photo: Michael Benson Beluga photo: T. McGuire, LGL Alaska Research Associates, Inc., under MMPA/ESA Research permit # 14210 Cook Inlet Beluga Whale DISCLAIMER Recovery Plan DISCLAIMER Recovery plans delineate such reasonable actions as may be necessary, based upon the best scientific and commercial data available, for the conservation and survival of listed species. Plans are published by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), sometimes prepared with the assistance of recovery teams, contractors, State agencies, and others. Recovery plans do not necessarily represent the views, official positions, or approval of any individuals or agencies involved in the plan formulation, other than NMFS. They represent the official position of NMFS only after they have been signed by the Assistant Administrator. Recovery plans are guidance and planning documents only; identification of an action to be implemented by any public or private party does not create a legal obligation beyond existing legal requirements. Nothing in this plan should be construed as a commitment or requirement that any Federal agency obligate or pay funds in any one fiscal year in excess of appropriations made by Congress for that fiscal year in contravention of the Anti-Deficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. § 1341, or any other law or regulation. Approved recovery plans are subject to modification as dictated by new findings, changes in species status, and the completion of recovery actions. LITERATURE CITATION SHOULD READ AS FOLLOWS: National Marine Fisheries Service. 2016. Recovery Plan for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas). National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region, Protected Resources Division, Juneau, AK. Hard copies of this recovery plan may be obtained from: National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Region P.O. Box 21668 Juneau, AK 99802-1668 907-586-7235 Digital copies of this recovery plan may be downloaded from the NMFS Alaska Region website: http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ All NMFS recovery plans can be downloaded from the NMFS website: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/recovery/plans.htm i Cook Inlet Beluga Whale ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Recovery Plan ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) gratefully acknowledges the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Team (CIBRT), led by Dr. Tamara McGuire, for their work in developing the first draft of this Recovery Plan for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale. The members of the CIBRT are listed below. Science Panel members were selected for their expertise and Stakeholder Panel members represented their respective organizations. The identification of recovery team members below does not imply their endorsement of this final version of the recovery plan. CIBRT Science Panel: Dr. Pierre Béland (St. Lawrence National Institute of Ecotoxicology); Dr. William Bechtol (Bechtol Research); Dr. Manuel Castellote (NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Marine Mammal Laboratory); Dr. Carrie Goertz (Alaska SeaLife Center); Dr. Daniel Goodman (Montana State University); Dr. Rod Hobbs (NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Marine Mammal Laboratory); Craig Matkin (North Gulf Oceanic Society); Dr. Tamara McGuire (LGL Alaska Research Associates); Dr. Robert Michaud (Group for Research and Education of Marine Mammals); Dr. Greg O’Corry-Crowe (Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute); Randy Standifer, Sr. (preceded by the late Peter Merryman) (Cook Inlet Marine Mammal Council); Dr. Robert Suydam (North Slope Borough). CIBRT Stakeholder Panel: Bruce Anders (Cook Inlet Region, Inc.); Joel Blatchford (Alaska Native Marine Mammal Hunters Committee); Jason Brune (Resource Development Council of Alaska, Inc.); Mayor David Carey (Kenai Peninsula Borough); Karla Dutton (Defenders of Wildlife); Chris Garner (Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson); Willie Goodwin (Alaska Beluga Whale Committee); Page Herring (Northern District Set Netters Association of Cook Inlet); Brett Jokela (Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility); Nancy Lord (Cook Inletkeeper); Nikki Martin (Alaska Oil and Gas Association); Roland Maw (United Cook Inlet Drift Association); Andrew Niemiec (Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority); Eileen Probasco (Matanuska-Susitna Borough); Steve Ribuffo (Port of Anchorage); John Schoen (National Audubon Society); Paul Shadura (Kenai Peninsula Fishermen’s Association); George Vakalis (Anchorage Municipality); Doug Vincent-Lang (Alaska Department of Fish and Game). NMFS also thanks the following individuals for their time and contributions to the recovery planning process, but who for various reasons were only able to participate on the CIBRT for a short duration: Dr. Robert Small (Alaska Department of Fish and Game), Dr. Mark Willette (Alaska Department of Fish and Game), Christine Nelson (Matanuska-Susitna Borough), and Kate Williams (Alaska Oil and Gas Association). ii Cook Inlet Beluga Whale ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Recovery Plan The Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Team acknowledges the following for their contributions and support toward the development of the Recovery Plan for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale: Individuals: Marc Bourdon, Kathy Burek-Huntington, Joe Canesi, Dale Funk, Ken Goldman, Richard Gustafson, Glenn Hollowell, Sam Ivey, Jon Kurland, Michael Link, Barb Mahoney, Barry McPherson, Scott Meyer, Mandy Migura, Lucy Moore, Mark Nelson, Steve Okkonen, Ted Otis, Lori Quakenbush, Scott Raborn, Tim Ragen, Randall Reeves, Susan Saupe, Kate Savage, Kim Shelden, Patrick Shields, Bob Small, Brad Smith, Mark Willette, Sheyna Wisdom Supporting Organizations: Alaska SeaLife Center; Bechtol Research; Georgia Aquarium; the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM); LGL Alaska Research Associates, Inc.; the Marine Mammal Commission; the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Marine Mammal Laboratory (AFSC MML); North Gulf Oceanic Society; St. Lawrence National Institute of Ecotoxicology; United States Air Force; United States Army The Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Team dedicated their work to the memories of their esteemed and appropriately named colleagues, Mr. Peter Sunrise Merryman and Dr. Daniel Goodman. The belugas, the Recovery Team, and the Plan have all benefited from their care and efforts. iii Cook Inlet Beluga Whale TABLE OF CONTENTS Recovery Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS DISCLAIMER................................................................................................................................ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ xii I. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... I-1 A. The Importance of Belugas to Cook Inlet ................................................................... I-1 B. History of the Listing Status of Belugas in Cook Inlet ............................................... I-1 C. Designation of Critical Habitat for CI Belugas........................................................... I-4 D. Recovery and Recovery Plans .................................................................................... I-5 E. The Recovery Plan for CI Belugas ............................................................................. I-5 F. Section Summary: Introduction .................................................................................. I-7 II. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... II-1 A. Physical Habitat of Cook Inlet ...................................................................................II-1 B. Natural History of CI Belugas ...................................................................................II-5 1. Physical Description of Belugas .........................................................................II-5 2. Taxonomy, Geographic and Genetic Variation ..................................................II-5 3. Beluga Distribution in Cook Inlet ......................................................................II-6 a. Distribution Patterns: 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s ................................................. II-7 b. Seasonal Distribution Patterns ........................................................................... II-8 4. CI Beluga Habitat Characteristics and Use ......................................................II-13 a. CI Beluga Feeding Habitat .............................................................................. II-13 b. CI Beluga Calving Habitat ............................................................................... II-18 c. Other Uses of Habitat ...................................................................................... II-18 d. Human Environment of Cook Inlet ................................................................. II-19 5. Age, Growth, Reproduction, and Survival .......................................................II-19 6. Hearing and Vocalizations ...............................................................................II-25 a. Beluga Hearing ...............................................................................................