Today's News
A/CPB
Gray Whale News Flash: March 21, 1997
To: Journey NorthFrom: Laura Gorodezky, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Greetings from the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. I know it is not yet time for another report, but I wanted to write and tell you about a gray whale calf that beached itself yesterday in Santa Barbara near Stearn's Wharf.
The young female whale, apparently separated from its mother, came ashore at about 3:15 pm yesterday afternoon. Some people on the beach called the Sanctuary office, Harbor Patrol, Marine Mammal Center and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to recruit some volunteers to move the whale back into the water.
Mike Donellan
The CONDOR and Sanctuary
Vessel Ballena anchored offshore to search for blows of the mother, but she
was nowhere in sight. I got to the beach at around 4:30 pm and the whale
had been moved into the water and was being supported by a canvas tarp held
by some shivering volunteers. We took shifts with about 8 people holding on
to the tarp at a time and slowly moved the animal to the more protected
waters inside the harbor.
Will Hagan, Macalester College
She was estimated to be about 3wks old and weigh
several thousand pounds. (At this time of year, newborn calves and their mothers migrate past Santa Barbara, California. They are
traveling from Gray Whale nurseries in Baja to their feeding grounds in the Arctic waters.)
A call was made to Sea World to see if they were able to take her in (a friend for JJ!). They agreed to come pick up the animal (dubbed "Corky" by some beachgoers), and left San Diego around 6pm in a 22 ft truck. We moved the whale over to Sea Landing and 6 volunteers at a time (now in donated wetsuits) rotated through shifts in the water with the whale to help support her head and flukes until the Sea World truck arrived around midnight.
I can tell you that I have never had an experience like this one. It was an amazing and touching experience to be in the water with this exhausted calf. She remained fairly calm through the ordeal and her eyes were open, watching us to try to figure out what was happening. She had a healthy complement of whale lice that surprised several volunteers (including myself) by jumping of the whale and taking small nibbles of skin. When Sea World arrived, the 16 ft calf was gently moved into a large harness and a crane lifted her into the truck. She was secured with soft foam padding and started her journey to her new temporary home.
That is all I know now. I will keep you posted when I learn more. I am going to San Diego for a meeting next week. Maybe I will have a chance to see how she is doing! Laura
Laura Gorodezky
Education Coordinator
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
113 Harbor Way
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
http://www.cinms.rain.org/