--- title: Whale Deaths in Alaska Spark Concern description: 30 whales have died mysteriously since May canonical: https://time.com/4007434/whale-deaths-alaska/ author: Tanya Basu article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-23T15:48:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:04.154Z article:section: Science og:title: Massive 'Mortality Event' Kills 30 Whales in Alaska og:description: 30 whales have died along the western Gulf of Alaska since May—a historic high og:url: https://time.com/4007434/whale-deaths-alaska/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05f56e126d9d9080/698860810b72e397e16e57ef/ap_713887533412.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: Alaska Dead Whales og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Massive 'Mortality Event' Kills 30 Whales in Alaska twitter:description: 30 whales have died along the western Gulf of Alaska since May—a historic high twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05f56e126d9d9080/698860810b72e397e16e57ef/ap_713887533412.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Massive 'Mortality Event' Kills 30 Whales in Alaska > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Japan Ordered To Stop Antarctic Whaling [Watch (HLS stream): Japan Ordered To Stop Antarctic Whaling](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/216avIFF.m3u8) (2:11)  _Published 2014-03-31. A United Nations court rules Japan must stop its whaling in the Antarctic, a major victory not just for Australia. The men and women who literally fought with whaling fleets at sea have been labeled everything from heroes to eco-terrorists._  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Aug 23, 2015 3:48 PM UTC  A fin whale carcass found on Whale Island, Alaska in the Kodiak Archipelago on June 5, 2015. A fin whale carcass found on Whale Island, Alaska in the Kodiak Archipelago on June 5, 2015. Bree Witteveen—Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program/AP  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Aug 23, 2015 3:48 PM UTC Scientists are deeply troubled and puzzled by the sudden deaths of 30 large whales that washed up on the coast of Alaska, calling the incident an “unusual mortality event.” “While we do not yet know the cause of these strandings, our investigations will give us important information on the health of whales and the ecosystems where they live,” Dr. Teri Rowles, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries’ marine mammal health and stranding response coordinator, [said in a statement](http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2015/whales-ume082015.htm). “Members of the public can greatly assist the investigation by immediately reporting any sightings of dead whales or distressed live animals they discover.” The deaths of the whales—which include 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale, and four unidentified others—are strange: the rate is nearly three times the historical average. NOAA’s declaration of the situation as an “unusual mortality event” will allow the agency to partner with federal, state, and tribal agencies to coordinate a response plan. Residents are urged to report stranded whales using a [special site](http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/mmume/large%5Fwhales%5F2015.html) established by NOAA Fisheries. ## Transcript A United Nations court rules Japan must stop its whaling in the Antarctic. A major victory for the men and women some have called heroes, while Japan has called them environmental terrorists. A warning, some of the images in this story can be considered graphic. The International Court of Justice has ordered Japan to stop hunting whales in the Antarctic. It's ruled that its whaling program is not for scientific research and is illegal. The activists say the whales were caught within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The sanctuary was set up by the International Whaling Commission in 1994 to protect whales. While Japan was part of a moratorium on whaling, it continued harvesting whales form the Antarctic under provisions that allow for scientific research. Whale meat is considered a delicacy by some in Japan. And opponents, like Australia, said profits from selling the meat were the true reason behind the whaling. Other opponents have been vocal and unapologetically extreme in their efforts to stop whaling fleets from hunting. While Greenpeace activists first started getting worldwide attention for the clashes with whalers at sea, the Animal Planet show Whale Wars profiled the environmentalist group, Sea Shepard, which has made it clear it would resort to whatever tactics necessary to protect whales. [ SOUND ] That's included both sides launching projectiles, ships colliding, and even one ship's destruction, all of which each side has blamed the other for. Sea Shepard leader Paul Watson predicted in January, Japanese whaling fleets would have their worst whaling season since opponents began facing off at sea. Last year they took less than 10 % of their quota. I think we're gonna do even better this year. Year before that 17 %. We've saved well over 6, 000 whales in the last few years and we've cost them hundreds of millions of dollars. Predictably, Sea Shepherd hailed the court's decision over Twitter. The BBC reports Japan said it would abide by the ruling. But the country added, it regrets and is deeply disappointed by the decision. The Guardian notes this doesn't mean an end to whaling. Japan hunts a much smaller number of whales in the northern Pacific, while Norway and Iceland continue to kill whales for their commercial value, in defiance of the IWC ban. 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