Gray
Whale Migration Update: February 22, 2006
Today's Report Includes:
- Latest Migration Data and Graphs
- Field Notes and Video Clip from the Nursery Lagoons
- Field Notes from ACS/LA
- Challenge Question #2
- Field Notes and Journaling Question from ACS/Channel Islands
- Discussion of Challenge Question #1: Southbound Babies
Gray Whale Migration Off the California Coast: Latest Data and Graphs
Imagine that you are a whale-watch boat captain. How would you explain to your passengers what is happening now? Use the latest data from the Observation Posts on the California coast. Make your own graphs (or use ours) and describe what your passengers should expect to see. Be sure to include the sentence: "Slowly but surely, the southbound migration appears to be _______."
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Gray Whale Migration Route In
which of the four lagoons do the most whale births happen?
You can find out by clicking on the map for more information
about each dot, including the nursery lagoons. |
Field
Notes from the Nursery Lagoons
This time of year, the action is in the lagoons and the focus is on the babies.
Here’s news from Laguna San Ignacio, one of the four nursery lagoons
where gray whales are born:
- Feb.
12: “Around 150 or more whales there, including
several cow-calf pairs. Behaviors included approaching skiffs
("friendly" or "curious"), and calves swimming
close to mom..." Celia Condit
Searcher Natural History Tours, JN Whale Observation Post
- Feb.
9: “. . . While I have noticed marked growth in
the young calves over the past couple weeks, we have also seen
quite a few calves that seem to be quite new to the world. What
an interesting and exciting week!” Johnny Friday reports
59 mother/calf pairs and 37 single whales for a total of 155
whales in this lagoon last week.
The Baja Adventure Company, JN Whale Observation Post
Good
News for Gray Whales
In October of 2005, an historic agreement was signed that will permanently
protect 120,000 undeveloped acres on the banks of San Ignacio Lagoon, keeping
the whale nurseries safe from commercial development. Sigrid Benson, a tourist
who visited San Ignacio Lagoon a few years ago, told us: “The camp is
sustainable, with no electricity except generated by wind, and no plumbing.
About 30 of us made the bone-jarring ride to the shores of the lagoon and every
day enjoyed whale watching trips, which are carefully timed and scheduled.
The whales are used to the boats and bring their calves very near. We were
almost overturned by a calf who took exception to his mother's prodding. This
lagoon has just recently escaped being used for a salt-reclamation factory,
which would have ruined the haven for the whales.” THAT'S GREAT NEWS!
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Baby
Up Close (by
Keith Jones) |
Field Notes from ACS/LA
Volunteer Mike Hawe comments that far fewer southbound gray whales have been seen at the ACS/LA census than the average over the past 10 years. ACS/LA did not see their first southbound whale until December 10. “The southbound cow/calf pairs are the only numbers that are a little better than average, says Mike. “Normally I would say that maybe the gray whales were migrating farther off shore where we can’t see them. But the reports from the lagoons in Baja say that the whales are not showing up there in big numbers either. The big question is: Where are the gray whales? Have more whales stayed in and around the Bering Sea, taking advantage of the smaller-than-usual ice pack to spend more time feeding?” That makes us wonder:
Challenge Question #2:
“What might make the gray whale migration run late? Using clues in today’s report, list as many factors as you can think of.”
To respond to this Challenge Question, please follow these instructions.
Field Notes from ACS/Channel Islands
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How many factors can you think of that affect the number of whales counted per day? Imagine yourself there as you read Michael H. Smith’s field notes for clues:
- Feb. 20: “It was again beautiful with flat calm seas until afternoon when a slight wind gave some texture to the vast ocean. Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel Islands formed a prominent frame for our Channel picture that included two northbound gray whales.” (Find them on the map.)
- Feb. 18: “It was spectacular: beautiful clouds; clear skies; calm seas. We had two northbound gray whales. The second was a big whale that we saw a long way off as she (probably) made her way around Campus Point, just outside the kelp beds, and across Coal Oil Point. We were "with" her for 50 minutes. It is fun to think about the individual stories. This lady took the path mothers use to escort their calves. Maybe she was a new mother last year... Maybe she's an old gal, who just wants to take it easy back to Alaska... She might have been doing a little feeding in the kelp. That is undue speculation, but she might have.”
- Feb 16: “A beautiful day today with all the Channel Islands visible. The wind started to build, but settled down to a manageable Beaufort, and we had good-to-excellent observation. The quality of the observation, however, was slightly lower. We saw a blow and couldn't find the body. Then we didn't see anything. It may have been a juvenile heading south, but it went into the books as ULW, Unidentified Large Whale.”
- Feb. 15: “We closed early, after just two hours. Too much wind and sun to see a blow or body.”
- Feb. 14: “We had a heavy haze or fine fog. Either way, observation quality was fair all day with bright sky and visibility at about three miles. We were hoping to see those heart-shaped blows. Not today—but we did find a northbound gray whale and several bottlenose dolphin.”
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Discussion of Challenge Question #1: Southbound Babies
We asked, “What do you think are the best conditions for a baby whale's birth and survival in its first months of life? Make a list based on the booklet, your own ideas, and the scientists' comments in Southbound Babies. Explain your thinking.”
Three fabulous Ferrisburgh, VT fifth-graders did their research! See how their thoughtful and excellent answer compares with yours:
The Next Gray Whale Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 8, 2006.
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