It is very unusual to find a beluga whale nearly 1,000 miles from its natural ocean habitat. It is found found in a river in central Alaska. But then, where have this carcass come from? — the carcass of a young beluga whale. Scientists are themselves bewildered by this finding.
But these whales often feed on fish in estuaries and the mouths of rivers. Has it swam away from the ocean in search of food? According to Sylvia Brunner, a marine mammals researcher at the museum in Fairbanks, the whale could have entered the river this spring seeking fish heading for the ocean. Or, it could have died in the river last fall and frozen during the winter. The carcass was about 12 feet from the edge of the river.
After this discovery left Brunner agape, she said,
When you get a carcass like that, there are a lot of unanswered questions.
Via: Associated Press