Interagency teamwork saves stranded beluga calf

by NOAA Fisheries on 20 Oct 2017 NOAA Enforcement Officer Noah Meisenheimer was flying back to Anchorage on-board an Alaska Wildlife Troopers Department of Public Safety helicopter when something caught his eye.

On the west side of the Cook Inlet, he observed a highly endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale calf stranded in the surf on a remote beach.

“I knew when I saw him that we had to do something,” said Meisenheimer, whose mission includes safeguarding and caring for marine wildlife.

As they circled the area, Meisenheimer and pilot Kenneth Reiser looked for other belugas and confirmed that the calf appeared to be abandoned. After setting down the chopper, they called the sighting in to the NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division (PRD).

After receiving authorization from permitted experts with the PRD Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, Meisenheimer and Reiser attempted to encourage the animal to move into deeper water.

“He would swim on his own for a little while, but kept turning around to swim back to shore,” said Meisenheimer. “I knew something had to be wrong with him. And since we were in constant contact with PRD, we informed them that another course of action was needed to rescue the calf.”

While Meisenheimer remained near the whale, Reiser flew the helicopter to pick up an Alaska SeaLife Center veterinarian who was working in the area. The vet evaluated the beluga calf and determined it would not survive on its own, but was healthy enough for rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

Together, the on-site team reconfigured the rear passenger area in the aircraft to safely fit the beluga calf and the veterinarian.

“We used a body bag as a sling,” said Meisenheimer. “We slowly and very carefully maneuvered the bag under the beluga and then placed him in the helicopter.”

The team quickly arrived at the hanger in Anchorage, where they met specialists from the Stranding Response Program. The response team coordinated a vehicle to pick up the beluga calf and transport him to the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward for treatment and rehabilitation.

“It was definitely a team effort,” he said. “We all played an integral role—NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division, Alaska Wildlife Troopers Aviation Section, and Alaska SeaLife Center. We are truly ‘one team’ and this is a great example of how we work together to protect marine wildlife.”

“Usually, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement protects marine mammals by enforcing laws and treaties,” said Nathan Lagerwey, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Alaska Division. “This was a rare opportunity for one of our officers to act immediately to save an individual whale. Enforcement Officer Meisenheimer was in a unique position and he initiated a team effort that gave the baby beluga a fighting chance. It was the kind of moment that makes us proud to be a part the NOAA team.”

Cook Inlet beluga whales are protected by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under these mandates, people must maintain a distance from whales of 100 yards on water or land and 1,500 feet in the air. It is illegal to touch, feed, harass, chase, or harm beluga whales.