Abstract

…Harbor porpoises have been reported as an uncommon species in Kotzebue Sound during the ice-free months of June through October (Frost & Lowry, 1990), but their presence in Kotzebue Sound or other coastal or offshore areas of the Chukchi Sea during the ice-covered winter months of November through May, had not been reported previously (e.g., Frost & Lowry, 1990; Gaskin, 1984; Suydam & George, 1992). Iñupiaq hunters working with our team from the community of Kotzebue, who had decades of experience hunting on the ice of Kotzebue Sound during the winter months, had also not previously observed harbor porpoises while hunting on the ice…