Whales of Alaska

The cold waters around the coastline of Alaska are home to a vast array of life, including several species of whale. Ten different species of whale are commonly seen in the waters off Alaska's coast, often passing through on large migratory paths. Killer whales are also seen in Alaska's waters, but they are, in fact, dolphins.

  1. Northern Pacific Bottlenose Whale

    • The northern pacific bottlenose whale, also known as Baird's beaked whale, lives in the northern Pacific Ocean and is found often in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia. It is the second largest of the toothed whale species that include sperm whales. The whale grows to between 35 and 42 feet in length and weighs more than 22,000 lbs.

    Beluga Whale

    • Beluga whales live in the arctic and subarctic regions of the world and are seen in the Bering Sea near the Alaskan coast. As adults, the whales become pure white and grow to 15 feet in length and more than 3,000 lbs. in weight.

    Bowhead Whale

    • A large number of bowhead whales migrate annually through the Bering Sea, wintering off of the northern coast of Alaska. The whales grow to more than 60 feet in length and weigh more than 120,000 lbs. Large, heavy bones in the animal's head give it a bowed shape, which is where the species gets its name.

    Fin Whale

    • Fin whales live throughout the world's oceans and can be seen along Alaska's southern coastal regions. It is the second-largest whale species in the world after the blue whale. The fin whales in northern waters grow to 75 feet long and between 40 and 80 tons. Whales in southern waters grow up to 85 feet long.

    Humpback Whale

    • Humpback whales live throughout most of the world's oceans and can be seen in southern Alaska's coastal waters. The whales migrate between northern waters in the summer and more tropical regions during winter. It is a large species that grows to between 48 and 62 feet in length and up to 40 tons in weight.

    Gray Whale

    • Gray whales are found in the seas off Alaska during the summer months and will migrate south to California and Mexico during the winter. The whales grow to around 45 feet in length and between 30 and 40 tons in weight. As the name suggests, the whale is a gray mottled color.

    Minke Whale

    • The northern Pacific subspecies of minke whale is found off of southern Alaska's coast. Unlike some whales, it does not travel into the more extreme arctic waters. It is a small whale that grows to almost 30 feet long and up to 15,000 lbs. in weight, on average. They tend to be more slender than most whales.

    North Pacific Right Whale

    • The northern Pacific right whale is seen along Alaska's coastline with the exception of the most northerly coastal regions. They are large whales that grow to between 45 and 55 feet in length and weigh up to 220,000 lbs. They look like bowhead whales but have a warty appearance to their heads, which the bowhead lacks.

    Sperm Whale

    • Sperm whales are large-toothed whales that grow to more than 50 feet long and up to 45 tons in weight. They are found throughout the world's oceans and are seen off of Alaska's southern coast. The whale has a huge head, which can make up 25 to 35 percent of its entire body length.

    Blue Whale

    • The blue whale is the planet's largest animal to have ever lived. During the spring the whale migrates north and can be seen sometimes in Alaska's southern coastal waters. It grows to between 75 and 80 feet in length in the northern hemisphere and over 200,000 lbs. in weight.