Beluga whales are highly social, gregarious animals.They squeal, squeak and chirp, which is why sailors long ago called them “sea canaries.” Of the five Alaskan stocks, the Cook Inlet beluga stock is the smallest and most isolated from other beluga whales. This population has declined over an estimated 75% and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) listed it as endangered in 2008. The most recent status report is that only 331 Cook Inlet belugas remain.Why are Cook Inlet beluga whales endangered?The Cook Inlet Beluga whale was listed as endangered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2008. The most recent status report is that only approximately 331 Cook Inlet belugas remain – a 75% drop from its historic estimated population of 1,300.Cook Inlet belugas were once a valuable part of the regional Alaska Native subsistence diet, but their population has declined rapidly. NOAA believes this was most likely due to unregulated hunting at a level that this small population could not sustain. Although the hunt has been suspended since 2005, the whale population has not recovered as expected and Defenders and others continue to work with NOAA and other partners to understand what is limiting its recovery.