The marine mammal was seen some 600 miles from where the river empties into the Bering Sea.

“Right now the people who have dogs in their yards are very concerned. This is happening at night when it’s dark, so everybody is on edge.” - Tanana First Chief

The No. 1 problem is ticks, according to Gerlach. Different tick species have been turing up in recent years in Alaska, apparently because they now are able to live and thrive in the current warmer climate around the circumpolar north.

To varying degrees, nearly the entire state was warmer than normal this July, according to a weather expert.

Moose and other species have advanced north with warming temperatures. University of Alaska Fairbanks assistant professor of water and environmental research Ken Tape said movement of boreal species into far northern Alaska has corresponded over the last century with earlier snow-melt and river ice out.

It’s a vicious cycle: As the weather warms, the Earth’s permafrost is melting, releasing greenhouse gases that are going to make the planet even hotter.

Least Surprising News: Another Warm Month in Alaska

Yukon subsistence fishermen face challenges with gear restrictions, closures, and reports of salmon potentially infected with ichthyophonus, impacting their summer fishing activities.

With a sickening thud, another hefty and handsome salmon lands in the waste barrel, headed for the dogs .

Spirit camp participants and residents along the Yukon River were shocked to see a lone beluga whale on the Yukon River in early August.