Relationships among high river discharges, upwelling events, and bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) occurrence in the central Alaskan Beaufort Sea

Aerial surveys for bowhead whales have been conducted with a relatively consistent methodology over the Alaskan Beaufort Sea since 1989. Sightings of bowhead whales in the central Alaskan Beaufort Sea in September 1997 and September 2014 were unusual in that hundreds of whales were observed within a few kilometers of local barrier islands. We compare bowhead whale sightings, river discharge data, wind records, and satellite imagery to argue that...