Alaska Whale Foundation

What Alaska Whale Foundation does

Alaska Whale Foundation (AWF) is a federally-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in Petersburg, Alaska. The organization conducts long-term ecological monitoring of whales and coastal ecosystems in Southeast Alaskan waters, focusing on the population of approximately 2,500 humpback whales that feed and reside in that region. AWF's mission is to understand, protect, and inspire appreciation for whales and their marine habitat through ecological monitoring, research, mentorship, and global engagement, and all fieldwork is conducted under National Marine Fisheries Service research permits (Numbers 19703 and 26663).

AWF's core research stack integrates four specialized field technologies. Photo-identification uses imaging of whale flukes to track individual animals over decades, producing a 30+ year longitudinal sighting database. Customized drones and aerial photogrammetry are used to estimate whale body condition, weight, and blubber energy stores non-invasively. Biopsy sampling protocols collect tissue samples to determine sex, chronic stress, pregnancy status, and diet. Suction-cup-attached camera tags follow whale dives, measure respiratory rate, and estimate energy expenditure. These capabilities are formalized in flagship programs including Whale Research, Ocean Health, Conservation, the Humpback Health Exam Initiative, and a published series of annual research reports and peer-reviewed publications (notably a 2024 Royal Society Open Science paper on humpback whales manufacturing bubble-nets).

AWF is funded primarily through individual donor contributions. Its primary commercial product is the Whale Health Exam Sponsorship, priced at $310 per exam, which provides donors with a named whale, fluke photo, 30-year sighting history, and health statistics. Secondary revenue streams include film and media production support (personnel, administration, consultation, and licensing fees processed under a formal Non-Essential Personnel policy) and collaborative research engagements with academic and institutional researchers conducted via pre-proposal submissions, Research Program Committee review, and MOU agreements. Customer segments are individual donors, scientific research collaborators, and media production teams.

Name

Alaska Whale Foundation

Legal name

Alaska Whale Foundation

Website

https://alaskawhalefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alaska Whale Foundation is a federally-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 that conducts long-term whale research in Southeast Alaska using photo-identification, drone photogrammetry, biopsy sampling, and suction-cup tagging under NMFS permits, primarily funded by individual donors through a $310 per-whale health exam sponsorship program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Research

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advocacy, Policy & Public Awareness (Animal Welfare) (BPAGAIAJ), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine mammal research
• Whale conservation
• Ocean health monitoring
• Wildlife ecological monitoring
• Nonprofit research organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying on individual donor contributions for operational funding. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States.
2. Whale Health Exam Sponsorships: $310 donation covers the cost of one comprehensive whale health exam. Sponsors receive a full health report including whale name, fluke photo, sighting history, and health statistics.
3. Media Collection Support Fees: Film and media production teams pay fees for research support including personnel fees, administration fees, consultation fees, field expenses, and licensing fees for archived footage.
4. Research Collaboration: Collaborative research arrangements with external researchers through formal MOU agreements, data sharing agreements, and consultation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alaska Whale Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization that conducts long-term scientific research, ecological monitoring, and conservation of humpback whales and their marine habitat in Southeast Alaska. It sells sponsored whale health assessments ($310 per exam) and provides fee-based research collaboration and media production support services to external researchers and film teams operating under federal NMFS permits.

Product overview

Alaska Whale Foundation operates as a nonprofit research organization offering a portfolio of scientific research and conservation programs focused on whale health and marine ecosystems in Southeast Alaska. The core offerings include direct research programs (Whale Research, Ocean Health, Conservation), the Humpback Health Exam Initiative providing comprehensive health assessments for individual whales, internship/mentorship programs, and collaborative research support services. The organization also produces research publications and educational media content including the PBS documentary series 'Changing Seas'. Research and media collection support services are available for qualified external researchers and film teams through formal application processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Humpback Health Exam Initiative Sponsored whale health assessment program offered at $310 per exam, providing comprehensive health data for an individual humpback whale including its name, fluke photo, 30-year sighting history, health statistics, and an annual research report. Available to individual donors and conservation sponsors who want a tangible, reportable outcome from their contribution.
• Collaborative Research Support Formal collaborative research service for external scientists and researchers, involving pre-proposal submission, Research Program Committee review, MOU establishment, data sharing, and consultation services related to whale and marine ecosystem research in Southeast Alaska.
• Media Collection Support Fee-based support service for film and media production teams producing whale-related content, including personnel fees, administration fees, consultation, field expenses, and licensing of archived footage collected under NMFS permits 19703 and 26663.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive health exams for all ~2,500 whales in Southeast Alaska
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Royal Society Open SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2024Peer-reviewed academic journal that published AWF's groundbreaking study on humpback whales manufacturing bubble-nets as tools (August 2024). This scientific publication validates AWF's research methodology and findings.
• PBSflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaborated with PBS on the award-winning 2022 documentary series 'Changing Seas,' featuring AWF scientists studying humpback whales in Southeast Alaska. The series provides global visibility for whale conservation research and climate change impact studies.
• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)coreOthersFederal agency issuing research permits (19703 and 26663) that authorize AWF to conduct scientific research on federally protected whale species. All media collected under permit must include statement: 'pursuant to NMFS ESA/MMPA Permit No. 19703'.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Oceana: Largest international ocean conservation advocacy organization; shares marine-mammal and habitat protection themes, donor fundraising DNA, and media-driven campaigns with AWF, but at global scale.
• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: Global marine wildlife conservation nonprofit combining advocacy, fieldwork, and media-driven fundraising; overlapping donor-supported, media-visible conservation model but operationally distinct from AWF's research-first approach.
• Ocean Conservancy: Much larger US-based ocean conservation nonprofit that funds marine research, advocacy, and policy; overlapping mission and donor base but with significantly broader geographic and topical scope than AWF's regional whale focus.

Emerging players

• Wild Orca: Nonprofit cetacean research and conservation organization using long-term photo-ID and field studies in the Pacific; analogous small-team nonprofit, longitudinal dataset, and donor-supported model.
• Cascadia Research Collective: Pacific Northwest marine mammal research organization conducting photo-ID, tagging, and health studies on cetaceans; closely comparable scientific methodology and Pacific-coast geographic focus to AWF.

Direct peers

• Center for Whale Research: Long-running nonprofit conducting photo-identification and longitudinal studies of cetaceans in the Pacific Northwest; directly analogous long-term dataset, permit-based research approach, and small-nonprofit operations.
• Pacific Whale Foundation: Nonprofit research and conservation organization focused on whales and marine mammals in the Pacific, with similar research, public engagement, and donation-supported model; the closest comparable in mission and operating model to Alaska Whale Foundation.
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): International nonprofit dedicated to the protection of whales, dolphins, and porpoises through research, advocacy, and donations; comparable mission, donor-funded model, and educational media outreach.

Others

• NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center: Federal agency issuing the NMFS research permits AWF relies on, and a primary funder/partner for marine mammal science in Alaska; not a competitor but the most consequential institutional counterpart for AWF's research permit moat.

Regional players

• Sitka Sound Science Center: Alaska-based marine research and education nonprofit in Southeast Alaska; shares in-region fieldwork, small-team structure, and educator/donor engagement with AWF, but with broader ocean-science scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/alaskawhalefoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/alaska_whale_foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alaska-whale-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alaska Whale Foundation