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The discovery of at least 60 dead ice seals found along the west coast of Alaska in recent months is puzzling to federal biologists, who said the deaths had been reported in "recent reports." exceptionally high numbers ".
The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported receiving numerous reports of dead, bearded, ringed and tagged seals near southern Nome and northern Bering Strait.
This May photo shows a dead seal found on a beach near Kotzebue, Alaska.
(Raime Fronstin / National Park Service via AP)
Just Friday, a hunter from Kotlik village said he found 18 seal carcasses along 11 miles of shoreline – a discovery he described as upsetting.
"I could not believe that there were so many deaths," said Harold Okitkun at the Anchorage Daily News. "It tears my heart because we live seals."
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Okitkun also reported finding dozens of other dead seals along an island near Stebbins. On May 10, eight bearded seals were found on St. Lawrence Island.
North of the Bering Strait in the Chukchi Sea, a biologist from the National Park Service has counted six dead seals near Kotzebue Airport. NOAA Fisheries also received accounts of 30 dead seals between Kivalina and Point Hope.
SIX BABY SEALS FOUND "CRASH AND VIOLENT" CRIME DETAILS
"At this point, we do not know what is happening," Julie Speegle, a spokeswoman for NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region, told the press. "We are mobilizing teams to take samples and try to investigate what is happening."
Some seals had already lost their hair. An abnormal moult was present during the death of seals and ice jacks from 2011 to 2016 and led NOAA Fisheries to investigate after reporting an unusual mortality event in the Bering and Chukotka seas.
A definitive cause of the abnormal moult has not been identified. During this period, the authorities estimate that some 657 seals have been affected.
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Biologists confirmed the presence of 233 ringed, bearded, spotted and striped seals, both dead and stranded, and 179 seals killed by hunters. 245 others were found with abnormal moulting during health assessments.
Ice seals are "an essential resource for Native communities in Alaska," NOAA said. The findings have raised concerns about food safety, with some worrying about seal contamination.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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