Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
July 2026

Humpback Whale Freed from Entanglement
crab pot lines removed from whale south of Juneau

By NOAA staff

The Tracy Arm-Fords Terror wilderness, located 50 miles south of Juneau, Alaska, features a pair of steep glacial fjords: Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. While remote, the waters in this area see steady vessel traffic, ranging from massive cruise ships and small charter boats to commercial fishing vessels and private yachts.

On the evening of May 10, 2026, several mariners noticed a juvenile humpback whale entangled in the narrow opening to Endicott Arm. They reported the sighting to the NOAA ...   Humpback Whale Freed Article Continued

Controlled Fire Improves Habitat
Little Granite Creek Prescribed Burn

By John Wagoner

More than 300 acres of boreal forest in the Matanuska Valley Moose Range near Sutton was successfully burned in mid-May to benefit wildlife. Extensive planning and careful monitoring by fire managers and crews ensured the burn was controlled and safe.

Prescribed fire is an effective and natural tool for restoring and maintaining healthy boreal habitats in Alaska. Burning stimulates the regeneration of young aspen and other early successional vegetation. Moose, grouse and other birds, furbearers, ...   Controlled Fire Article Continued

Potter Marsh Discovery Day

By Ben Henning

When my co-worker, Marian Snively, armed me with a digital camera and asked me to patrol Potter Marsh Discovery Day to search for the best shots to showcase, I had no idea what to expect.

But I was ready and willing, and I accepted the mission.

Potter Marsh Discovery Day is an annual early June event that draws hundreds of families to this popular Anchorage wetlands, part of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. Snively, a Wildlife Educator with the Alaska Department of Fish and ...   Potter Marsh Day Article Continued