By: Madison R. Alaska Whale Foundation Helping the Humpback Whales and other Marine Mammals

Alaska Whale Foundation (AWF) AWF is a Non-profit organization that helps marine mammals in dangerous situations. One way this organization helps these mammals is by disentangling them from fishing equipment and nets. This group also does research for many of the animals so, they have a better understanding of how to handle these amazing creatures.

Marine Mammals Marine mammals are very special animals, they are the only mammals to live in the waters. There are many types that AWF researches. For example: Mustelids (otters), Pinnipeds (steller sea lions and the harbor seals ), and Cetaceans (whales such as the humpback whale and the Orca/Killer whale). These are heavily researched mammals at AWF.

Projects: Hobart Bay This is one of many important projects this foundation supports. Many fishermen come to Hobart Bay to do their job, but sometimes their nets have been getting in the way of some very special animals. The mammals have been getting entangled in the fishermen's gear and either dying of suffocation or starvation. So AWF works hard to disentangle the mammals before their death. This is a very careful procedure with special equipment. Once the animal is free they check it to make sure he/she is okay and then release them back to the wild.

The Humpback Whale The Humpback Whale is one mammal heavily researched at AWF. This creature is mostly known for its spectacular singing. The whales can sing a melody, with repeating patterns! This is their way of communicating to one another. These sounds can travel for miles. Also their tales are very unique, each tail is different like a fingerprint. In the summer these animals normally head to colder waters but in the winter they go back to the tropics to mate. AWF helps these Humpback Whales in the Pacific as well as the Atlantic. Do you speak whale?

Megaptera novaeanglia (Humpback whale) Class- Mammalia Order- Ceta Suborder- Mysticeti Family- Balaenopteridae Genus- Megaptera Species- Novaeanglia

Why you should donate Donating is how AWF gets enough money to do the research and buy the equipment and rescue these wonderful creatures. Hundreds of people donate every year. If you choose to give, you could get the satisfaction of knowing you may have possibly saved a life of a Humpback whale, or another of the many endangered mammals AWF saves every year. If you want to see where to donate go to Money makes the world go round!

You are in good company! Honda Marine Xantrex (Duracell) I think Jason James Richter would be a good person to donate because he played Jessie in “Free Willy.” (a movie about a boy trying to save whale.)

Summary In summary AWF works really hard to conserve these stunning animals. They focus all there efforts trying to get these mammals off the endangered species list. AWF gets so many donations that it is probably easy for them to get a lot of research done, and with that said donating to AWF could save a baby whale or seal or otter or any other cute little animal in need.

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