Researchers say they’re pleased with a slight increase in the number of Cook Inlet beluga whales, but it’s not nearly enough to signal a recovery of the endangered species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2014 count for white whales was 340, up from 312 in 2012. The animals were listed as endangered in 2008.
Population biologist Rod Hobbs says the small increase is positive, but when he’s studying the population, he’s more concerned about trends over 10 or 20 years, not individual surveys.
Over the past decade, the population estimates have ranged from 278 to 375 animals. Overall, Hobbs says the population still appears to be in decline.
