Today's Report Includes:

• Whale Watching: Whales Reach Alaska and Here Come the Babies! >>

• In the Lagoons: Serious Training >>

• Journal Topic: Mothers and Babies >>

• Climate Studies: Weathering Change? >>

• Tracking the Migration: Using Daily Data ≥≥
• Lost Whale Leaves: The Updates >>

• Links: This Week's Gray Whale Resources ≥≥

While a few mom/baby pairs are now on their journey north, many are still in Mexico. Here are highlights from San Ignacio Lagoon (#2 on our map) from guide and naturalist Caroline:

"One afternoon there were 3 distinct groups of mothers with calves, rather than the norm of whales spread out from each other. There are still a few singles lingering in the lagoon. On two afternoons, endurance and speed swimming against the strong tidal currents, breaching, lunging, and spy hopping by 20 or more calves seemed to be the lessons! Calves would briefly swim by the boats and then return to their moms, very focused! I wondered if some were heading out to begin the big swim north?"

"Our very special day was March 28, when we saw our first northbound cow/calf pair," reports Alisa Schulman-Janiger. "Not only did they pass directly below us (right outside of the kelp bed), they also had a companion: another adult gray whale escorted them. Cow/calf pairs usually migrate by themselves. On days with high cow/calf pair counts, these pairs occasionally travel together; only RARELY do we see cow/calf pairs with other adults. What a treat!"

* Why do you think cow/calf pairs travel near kelp beds? (See more here.) What might be advantages for having another whale travel with the cow/calf pair?

Write responses in your Gray Whale Journal.

Plants and animals can handle natural variations in weather from season to season and year to year. But long-term average weather patterns (climate) are changing faster than ever before, and faster than many species can respond. How will this affect the health and survival of living things and their habitats? Scientists are just beginning to explore these questions. They have their eyes on the arctic polar bears and the world's big whales, as climate in the Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on earth. In our next report we'll visit this topic again with a focus on the feeding grounds of the Pacific gray whales.

Research scientists use underwater sound recorders to listen to gray whales in the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska. What astonishing thing did they hear? Why were they so surprised? >>

For the ACS/LA, this year's first northbound cow/calf sighting was March 28; last year it was March 2. For watchers at the Gray Whales Count site, this year's first cow/calf sighting was March 30; last year's was March 15.

Do you think the migration is later this year? Do you think another phase of the migration has begun? What do the data show?

• What is the main thing you notice about the recent numbers of whales at both Coal Oil Point >> and Los Angeles? >>
• What changes do you predict you'll see when your next data comes in two weeks?
• Graphing gray whale data through the whole season at one or both California posts? Add the latest data. >>

Why do counts differ so much between our two California point-count sites? >>

Many of you have written for an update on the young whale in Santa Barbara Harbor. From the nearby migration observation post of Gray Whales Count, Michael H. Smith sent updates on March 20 and March 21. Here they are, plus the rest of the story: >>

Meanwhile, San Diego Harbor also has a wayward whale! What will the rest of this story be? >>

• Photo Study: What is on this baby whale's skin? >>
• Census Chart: Whales in San Ignacio Lagoon >>
• Literature Link: Whale Journey >>
• Journey North Feature: Climate Connections >>
• Slide Show: Gray Whales Surprise Scientists >>
• Current Events: A Whale in the Harbor >>
• Ask the Gray Whale Expert: Open April 3-17! >>
• Migration Celebration! Whale Fest Kodiak, April 17-29 >>

The Next Gray Whale Migration Update Will Be Posted on April 15, 2009.

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