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SEATTLE – Two reports of a beluga sighting were reported in the waters of Puget Sound near Tacoma and Seattle this week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
Both sightings were reported to NOAA Fisheries, one from Commencement Bay on Sunday around noon and the other from Elliott Bay on Monday, KING-TV reported.
Sunday’s sighting was captured on video, which was reviewed and confirmed by NOAA fisheries experts. The whale is more than 1,000 miles beyond the typical range of belugas, which generally stay near Alaska and throughout the Arctic, according to a NOAA statement.
“On rare occasions, we have documented similar ‘wayward belugas’ on the west and east coasts of the (United States) – most recently near San Diego, Calif., In June 2020,” the release said.
The current location of the whale is also unknown, but NOAA officials said they will be monitoring the whale’s health while it is in the area.
The only documented sighting of a beluga in Puget Sound dates back to 1940 near Point Defiance.
The beluga is protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Anyone who sees this beluga should stay at least 100 meters away from it, note the location and call NOAA Fisheries at 1-866-767-6114, officials said.
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