Occurrence of Endangered Species Act Listed Humpback Whales off Alaska

This document provides information on the occurrence of three Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of humpback whales in waters off the coast of Alaska. This guidance will help Federal agencies meet their obligations to consult with NOAA Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). It will also be useful for assessing potential impacts of NOAA Fisheries-authorized research and stranding response activities on ESA-listed humpback whales.

Three DPSs of humpback whales occur in waters off the coast of Alaska:

• the Western North Pacific DPS, which is an endangered species under the ESA
• the Mexico DPS, which is a threatened species under the ESA
• the Hawaii DPS, which is not protected under the ESA.

Whales from these three DPSs overlap to some extent on feeding grounds off Alaska.