Gray
Whale Migration Update: March 8, 2006
Today's Report Includes:
- Gray Whale Migration Off the California Coast: Latest Data and Graphs
- Challenge Question #3: Breathing, Diving, Swimming
- Field Notes and Photo Tour from a Nursery Lagoon
- Whale Journey (Literature Link)
- Field Notes from ACS/Los Angeles
- Tagging Gray Whales: Research Coming Soon to a TV Near You?
- Field Notes from ACS/Channel Islands
- Discussion of Challenge Question #2 with Expert Kim Shelden
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Gray
Whale Migration Route |
Gray Whale Migration Off the California Coast: Latest Migration Data and
Graphs
Here come the babies! The first northbound gray whale mom/baby pairs
have been seen at both the Los Angeles and Channel Islands Observation
posts.
These "firsts" occurred within days of each another. Are these
babies earlier or later than the first sighted last year? (Check last
year’s
graphs at the link below.)
More news! A sudden surge in sightings occurred in the final days of
February and first days of March. Gray Whales migrate day and night,
at rates of
approximately 3-5 mph. Could the whales sighted from Los Angeles on Feb.
28th have been the same whales seen in the Channel Islands the very next
day? What factors might affect the time it takes a whale to make the
swim? Be sure to see the graphs and special journaling questions here:
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Photo
M.H. Smith
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Challenge
Question #3: Breathing, Diving, Swimming
Did you know that a migrating gray whale has a predictable
breathing pattern? The whale generally blows 3-5 times in 15-30 second
intervals
before raising its fluke and submerging for 3-5 minutes. Have a partner
watch the clock while you pantomime this sequence of events to get
a feel for the whales’ pattern. A gray whale can stay submerged
up to 15 minutes. They normally travel at about 3-5 miles per hour
(4.8-8.1 km/hr).
Challenge Question #3:
"If a gray whale and her calf swim more slowly, how long do you estimate their journey takes if they swim a total of 6,000 miles from Mexico to Alaska?"
To respond to this question, please follow these instructions.
Field Notes and Photo Tour from a Nursery Lagoon
Whale watch leader Keith Jones says Hola amigos Y amigas. He sends counts of gray whales inside Laguna Ojo de Liebre, one of the four nursery lagoons. How has the ratio of babies to adults changed? How many total whales were seen in each count? What trend do you expect to see when the next numbers come in? Keith says the total for February 8 is one of the highest numbers ever recorded, keeping up a trend of higher counts that started in 2004.
| DATE | BABIES | ADULTS | TOTAL |
| Jan.. 30 | 258 | 535 | ? |
| Feb. 8 | 858 | 1073 | ? |
| Feb. 14 | 645 | 979 | ? |
Visit a Nursery Lagoon with Journey North
Journey North visited Laguna Ojo de Liebre. Our photos and captions will help
you make discoveries about
gray whale habitat and behavior as well as some fun facts. How many elephants
would
it take to equal the size
and weight of a 45-foot, 35-ton gray whale? Find out here:
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Whale Journey (Literature Link)
In her 50 years, Old Gray swam a distance equal to traveling to the moon and home again. What's in store for her baby, about to make his first migration? Whale Journey by Vivian French (1998, Zero to Ten Limited) is a richly detailed picture book for all ages. Join three generations of whales on their travels. After reading this gripping story, try a point-of-view writing experience (along with other fun activities) built on this literature link to the study of gray whales. See:
Field Notes from ACS/Los Angeles
Alisa Schulman-Janiger, Director of the ACS/LA census points out something to watch for ahead: The peak for the non cow/calf northward migration is usually the last of February up to mid-March. “We don’t expect mothers and calves until about six weeks after the peak of northbound non cow/calf whales.”
But the first northbound cow/calf sighting was March 2! Surrounded by dolphins, the cow and calf came by quite close to the shoreline; the calf repeatedly surfaced on top of the cow's back. Earlier sightings have been reported only during two seasons since 1984! Mike Hawe is one ACS volunteer with lots of questions. “If the southbound migration was a bit late,” he asks, “why are we already seeing northbound cow/calf pairs when they are usually the last to leave the lagoon? Did these whales even go to the lagoons in Baja?” What do you think? Will we ever know? Is there any way to find out?
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Mike Hawe sent this photo and tells us more: "Gray whale calves are almost black in color when they are born. They are about 15 feet long and weigh 1,500 pounds. The fast-growing babies may gain 70 pounds a day on a diet of 50 gallons of rich milk (53% butterfat!) from their mothers. A gray whale mother may lose up to two-thirds of her body weight by the time she completes the roundtrip migration." |
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Tagging Gray Whales: Research Coming Soon to a TV Near You?
Some researchers are trying to learn more about gray whales with the help of "tags," satellite transmitters that send the whales' location data. Do the tags hurt the whales? What do the researchers hope to learn about baby gray whales making their first journey north?
Field Notes from ACS/Channel Islands
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Three days of the past two weeks were standouts at our Channel Islands observation post. “There was a party goin' on in the Santa Barbara Channel. Thirteen gray whales dropped by on their way north,” came the happy news from Director Michael H. Smith on March 1. “Some arrived as singles, while others clearly enjoyed a group hug and roll.” One day earlier (Feb. 28), they’d celebrated seeing their first northbound mom/calf pair of the season! And March 2 brought another 13-whale day. Things are getting exciting, and the 2006 journey north is in full swing! Photo Michael H. Smith |
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Meet
Kim Shelden,
Gray Whale Expert |
“What might make the gray whale migration run late? List as many factors as you can think of.”
Kim Shelden, our gray whale expert, had high praise for the answers sent by New Jersey and Vermont middle school students, yet her comments show us there’s much more to think about. See your answers along with Kim’s thoughts here:
The Next Gray Whale Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 22, 2006.
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