Beluga whales are shown in the Chukchi Sea near Alaska in this July 1, 2008 publicity photo from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Mammal Laboratory and released to Reuters October 17, 2008. The NOAA said it has determined that belugas in Cook Inlet, the channel that flows from the Anchorage area to the Gulf of Alaska, are at risk of extinction and deserving of strict protections under the Endangered Species Act. [Agencies]