Whaling Trail Mapping
Photos by Matthew Druckenmiller
Monitoring shorefast sea ice during spring whaling at Utqiaġvik
Each spring, Iñupiat hunters route and build trails across the shorefast sea ice off Utqiaġvik to access hunting sites along the lead edge as they pursue the bowhead whale during its spring migration to the Beaufort Sea.
Since 2007, an ongoing collaboration between whalers, scientists, and local organizations have worked together to map and survey the community’s spring whaling sea ice trails and measure the average thickness of the ice.
These annual surveys reveal the average thickness of level first-year shorefast ice, which is controlled by local freeze-up processes and timing, as well as weather, ocean, and ice conditions in the region throughout fall and winter.
This project was initially inspired by the efforts of Utqiaġvik elder Warren Matumeak and biologist Craig George to document the trails using GPS and hand-drawn maps in 2001.
Making the maps
One end of the instrument creates an electromagnetic field. Since saltwater conducts electricity the EM meter causes a secondary electromagnetic field in the water. The opposite end of the EM meter measures the strength of this secondary field which depends on the distance between the instrument and the water. As the instrument is pulled over trail sections with thick ice (ice does not conduct electricity) the secondary signal is weaker because the distance to the water is greater. Across sections with thin ice the signal is stronger because the distance is smaller.
The team maps trails using GPS, and continuously measures ice thickness. This information is added to a map with radar imagery showing the general ice type. Maps are provided to the community in paper and electronic formats during the hunting season (late April–late May).
Trails to the Whale: A 20-year record of Utqiaġvik's spring whaling trails
This book has been compiled by the Alaska Arctic Observatory & Knowledge Hub to serve as a compilation of the history of trail mapping research collaborations in Utqiaġvik as well as to provide annual summaries of maps and activities surrounding spring whaling over nearly 20 years, 2008-2024. We hope this will be a celebration of our long term collaborations as well as a useful resource to look back on for the whaling community.
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Trails to the Whale Citation:
Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub (AAOKH). 2024. Trails to the Whale: A 20-year record of Utqiaġvik’s spring whaling trails. Edited and compiled by Matthew L. Druckenmiller, Joshua Jones, Roberta Tuurraq Glenn-Borade, Kimberly Kivvaq Pikok, and Donna D.W. Hauser. Report for the Barrow Whaling Captain’s Association. Fairbanks, Alaska. DOI: 10.7265/3PZV-6906.
For more information
AAOKH supports scientists Matt Druckenmiller and Josh Jones to continue this important work. Questions? Contact Matthew Druckenmiller, National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Related publications and resources
- Druckenmiller, M.L., H. Eicken, M. Johnson, D. Pringle, and C. Williams (2009) Toward an integrated coastal sea-ice observatory: System components and a case study at Barrow, Alaska. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 56 (1-2): 61-72
- Druckenmiller, M.L., H. Eicken, J.C. George, and L. Brower (2013) Trails to the whale: Reflections of change and choice on an Iñupiat icescape at Barrow, Alaska. Polar Geography, 36 (1-2): 5-20
- Northern Alaska Sea Ice Project Jukebox of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program
- Ice trail thickness data for 2008-2012 available from NSF Arctic Data Center
This work is a partnership with University of Alaska Fairbanks and the National Snow and Ice Data Center, with field support by Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC) and North Slope Borough. Current funding is provided by the Alaska Ocean Observing System.