There are a handful of records of people spotting sperm whales in the region -- and they're all in the summer. Likewise, all of the historic whaling records are from the summer. The Gulf of Alaska is not a place you want to be in the winter. But apparently, sperm whales don't mind.

We'll look at water temperature, salinity and even chlorophyll growth. Ultimately, what we hope is to be able to identify a certain water mass and know that it will lead to chlorophyll growth and an abundance of plankton, and that the whales will soon appear.

There has been only one confirmed sighting of a right whale in the Gulf of Alaska since 1980, so discovering them is not only surprising, it is fairly significant. We picked up the sounds of one whale off Kodiak Island, and several others in deep water, which is also something of a surprise, since most right whale sightings have been near-shore.

The three blasts were carried out by at least four people. The identity of the people has more or less been confirmed and we are trying to track them down.

Far more people quit in the highest dose. It looks like vaccines do have promise in terms of helping people quit smoking.

There are many definite methods, honest and dishonest, which make people rich; the only ''instinct'' I know of which does it is that instinct which theological Christianity crudely describes as ''the sin of avarice.''