Quakenbush, Loir T., & Huntington, Henry P. (2010). Traditional Knowledge Regarding Bowhead Whales in the Chukchi Sea near Wainwright, Alaska. Department of the Interior & University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Final Report: OCS STUDY Minerals Management Service 2009-063.
Bowhead whales are an important subsistence and cultural resource for coastal people of western and northern Alaska, as well as an important component of the ecosystems of the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. There is extensive traditional knowledge regarding bowhead whale migration and behavior near subsistence whaling villages in Alaska. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is funding a satellite telemetry study to document bowhead whale movements, important habitats, and interactions with industrial activities. The purpose of this project is to collect traditional Inupiat knowledge regarding bowhead whales so that it can be combined with data from the satellite telemetry study for a more complete understanding of the migrations and local movements of bowhead whales. Seven whaling captains from the Chukchi Sea village of Wainwright shared their knowledge of ice conditions, timing of migration, feeding and mating behavior, conditions necessary for whaling, and their concerns about oil and gas activities.
