PUGET SOUND, Wash. – Turns out the beluga whale that’s been spotted in Puget Sound this month made a longer trip than experts initially thought.
NOAA Fisheries says analysis of genetic material from the whale shows it’s most likely from a large beluga population in the Beaufort Sea.
That’s north of Alaska in the Arctic Ocean, thousands of miles from the Pacific Northwest.
Belugas are known to travel beyond their normal range, but this is the first one spotted in the Sound since 1940.
Sightings can be reported to the Orca Network at (360) 331-3543 and you can report any stranding on shore to the Stranding Hotline immediately at (866) 767-6114.