Belugas are beloved throughout Alaska but specifically the Cook Inlet population has caught the hearts of Alaskans based in Anchorage. With a population of approximately 300,000 Anchorage is home to the majority of people living in Alaska. Belugas are a highlight to all the locals who see them and the lucky population of visitors that view them as well. Every spring and fall monitoring by citizen scientists is done, documenting sightings correlating with the tides. These citizen scientists are also capturing other information regarding other species sighted, sounds, industrial activity, such as shipping, aviation flights, and the general public sharing the waters. This valuable data collected is helping inform federal agencies the frequency at which people are seeing the whales and how many whales. Some viewers also capture photographic evidence of the whales which when submitted properly to the Photo ID project are matched to existing documented whales in the population. 

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These Cook Inlet beluga whales are so beloved and popular that every year there is a special event in September called Belugas Count Day! Everyone is invited to go out to view whales at one of the many sites along the coast. There is also a large event held at the Alaska Zoo during the day where you can learn about the work being done and the agencies that work with them or support the work.