Today's Report Includes:
- Migration News: Pushing into Alaska, Leaving the Lagoons >>
- Whales in Alaska: Migrants or Residents? >>
- Babies Getting Brave: Observer Comment >>
- Journal: How Much Do the Babies Weigh When They Start Migration? >>
- Tracking the Migration: Using Daily Data ≥≥
-
Links: This Week's Gray Whale Resources ≥≥
Photo Caroline Armon
A lagoon visitor looks at a baby whale's eye,
about the size of a tennis ball. Our amazing clues help you draw a
life-size adult
whale! >>
|
Gray whales are strung out along the Pacific coast, heading north in earnest. The first cow/calf at Monterey Bay, CA (#9 on map) was spotted April 7, and observers off the Washington coast believe they've seen cow/calf pairs, too. The parade is starting to pick up at the official cow/calf survey station at Pt. Piedras Blancas (#8 on map), where biologist Wayne Perryman says, "We saw 6 cow/calf pairs and 16 adult/juveniles this week, bringing our calf total to 8 so far. This is similar to what we saw last year at this time. In casual watching on Sunday (April 12, when we aren't on site counting), one observer saw 5 cow/calf pairs go by." Read about their antics in reports from ACS/LA (#6) and Gray Whales Count (#7)! From Birch Aquarium, naturalist Staci has welcome news about a young whale you heard about in our last report: "We even had a juvenile gray whale spend about 3 weeks in the San Diego bay before it returned back to its northbound migration route." Good going, young whale! Meanwhile, the hungry whales are getting closer to their feasting grounds. Read on for this week's stories. |
Dr. Briana H. Witteveen of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Fishery Industrial Technology Center reports:
April 10: The NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson left port for the Gulf of Alaska Line-Transect Survey. The survey started out on a good note with sightings of 5 gray whales about 3 miles off Long Island. This marks the biggest group sighted so far. Does it mean we will soon see the big push? Let's hope!
April
6: Kate Wynne and I flew an aerial survey that covered
the area between Long Island and Dangerous Cape, including offshore of Ugak
Island. We saw a total of 23 gray whales (fewer than we expected but
more than we had seen during the March survey). As many of you
might know, gray whales are often seen offshore of Narrow Cape year
round so it's
difficult to separate migrating whales from these year-round residents. However,
I can tell you that we only saw mud plumes (which indicate feeding) associated
with 3 of the sightings.
Question: What did mud plumes indicate? Do you think these
whales were migrants, or residents? Why?
Aerial photo of gray whales off Alaska taken by Kate Wynne, PhD, under NOAA Permit for Scientific Research No. 1049-1718
Area near Kodiak, Alaska
(Click to enlarge)
On April 10 ACS/LA observers (#6) saw "a very naughty calf," reports census director Alisa Schulman-Janiger. "When we first found them the mom was ahead of the calf. She had to turn around to fetch the calf. Then it looked like the calf rolled over the mom. They swam together for a little while. Then the calf took off toward shore, while the mom looked like she was headed out toward the buoy. She had to turn and head toward shore to corral the calf one more time." This whale mom has her hands full for the long journey north! What dangers might lie ahead? >>
Photo
Caroline Armon
"At least 7 pairs of moms with calves are still here," reports guide Caroline from San Ignacio Lagoon (#2 on our map). She tells of huge mamas and their roly-poly calves lined up for attention and petting on one side of the little 22-foot boat. "It was overwhelming to keep track of 10 whales within a hand’s reach and watch them go back and forth and rub under the boat!"
These baby whales will soon be heading north on their first migration. The amazing 5,000-mile swim begins in the lagoons and leads to lush summer feeding grounds in the Chukchi and Bering seas.
- How much does a baby weigh by the time it is starts its first migration? (Hint: Consider birth weight plus amount gained since birth.) For details you need, see Holy Cow! What a Calf. >>
Video Keith Jones
"We are expecting an injection of whales as cow/calf pairs start lining up. That's what we hope," said Michael Smith on April 5. What do the data show at our two point-count sites?
Questions About This Week's Data >>
- Art/Anatomy: Draw a Life-size Gray Whale >>
- Lesson: Gray Whale Enemy Number One >>
- Video Clip: Touching Whales in the Lagoon >>
- Lesson: Holy Cow! What a Calf >>
- Analyze: Michael Smith Explains Differences in Point Counts >>
- Media Link: Radio Interview of Gray Whales Count by KCLU Radio and Listening Guide >>
- Media Link: TV News Interview of Gray Whales Count by KEYT News >>
-
Ask the Gray Whale Expert: Send Questions by April 17! >>
KEYT News
Television interviews some observers at Gray Whales Count! >>
The Next Gray Whale Migration Update Will Be Posted on April 29, 2009.
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