For one Utqiaġvik family, spring bowhead whaling marks an important milestone

Quincy Adams slices through bowhead whale meat to distribute to his family and community members in Utqiaġvik , AK on April 24, 2024. .The night before, the whaling crew, captained by Bernadette and Quincy Adams, had landed the first bowhead whale of Utqiaġvik’s spring season. The crew flag, featuring a harpooned bowhead tail framed by a sunset, waved above the Adams’ two-story home, signaling the successful hunt.Inside was a picture of a jubilant chaos.

Warmer temperatures are driving a decline in the region’s sea ice, which is forming later in winter and thawing earlier. Whalers say the shorefast ice, or the ice still attached to the coastline at this time of year, is becoming thinner and less predictable. That poses an extra challenge — and possible danger — for crews, who must cross the ice to reach open water and then rely on it when they pull in whales that can weigh more than 60 tons.

For several years, he’s been training to take on the role of striker from his father, Quincy. The striker stands in the bow of the boat and launches the darting gun to harpoon the bowhead. Bernadette Adams, co-captain of the Aaluk crew, shows off the tip of the harpoon she used to catch her first bowhead whale during a family gathering at her home on April 24, 2024.

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