Frozen River Probably Held Whale All Winter

A young beluga whale whose carcass was found in a river nearly 1,000 miles from its natural ocean habitat probably died last fall and remained in the frozen river all winter, according to scientists.

Canoeists found the whale June 9 on the Tanana River about 40 miles southwest of Fairbanks.

Beluga whales often feed on fish in estuaries, and experts speculated that the whale swam away from the ocean in search of food. When scientists opened the carcass, they found the internal organs generally well preserved, according to Tom Seaton, a state biologist. The discovery indicated the 8-foot-long whale had frozen.