What few confirmed sightings exist come from open coastal waters off Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Prince William Sound, and Kenai Fjords National Park, all areas near the edge of the continental shelf where deep water sits close to shore.
Baird’s beaked whale, the largest of the world’s beaked whales, spends nearly all its life far below the surface hunting squid, giant grenadier, and other deep-sea prey. It only comes close enough to be seen when it surfaces near that shelf edge, which is exactly what these three Alaska locations share.
A sparse record here isn’t unusual for this species. Confirmed US sightings number well under 200 across more than two decades nationwide, and much of what’s known about the whale anywhere comes from strandings and old whaling records rather than live sightings at sea.
Full species profile
