Cook Inlet beluga whales (CIBW) are an endangered population of toothed whales in southcentral Alaska that have not shown signs of recovery over the past two decades. Since the 1999 harvest moratorium, the number of whales in the population has remained relatively stable, with the 2022 estimate at 381 whales. Despite extensive research efforts since its Endangered Species Act listing in 2008, the mechanisms limiting population...