 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Whale
Watching With Mike & Winston
Logging Sightings and Photo Quiz
Contributed by Mike
& Winston
Volunteering at the gray whale census is not just kicking back at the beach in a chair! The ACS/LA gray whale census runs from December 1st through May 15th -- rain or shine. In Whale Watcher's Lingo, I taught you how we track whales and call out a sighting using binoculars with a built in compass and reticles. An important reason for using such binoculars is that all our sightings have to be verified by at least one more observer. Shouting out the sighting with the reference position enables anyone else to look in the same place and verify the sighting. (Even the best of us whale watchers can make a mistake.) Then take the photo quiz at the end to test your eye!
 |
 |
| If I said, "BLOW to the left of me about 2/3 the way out to the horizon," you probably wouldn't see the whale without a reference. |
If you had binoculars like mine and I said "Blow at 288 degrees at 30 mil", you should be able to spot the whale. |
Now we will explain how we log that information on the census behavior
chart. It'll be easiest to follow along if you start with a big, clean
piece of paper, divide into 12 columns, and lable the columns as you read
these descriptions:
Logging
Your Sightings
 |
| In the upper part of the large column to the left, volunteers will sign in with their name. the time they started, and the time they finished observing for the day. The lower part of this column is reserved for remarks about each sighting. |
Column 2: the number of whales we saw ( whether a single whale or more)
Column 3: if we saw a cow/calf pair. (Mother & baby)
Column 4: we put in the direction the whale was swimming in N= north, S= south
Column 5: time of day we first sighted that sighting and also the distance from the census site bearing. (i.e. 07.27 , 2 miles)
Column 6: the compass reading of the first sighting (i.e. 214 degrees,10 mil)
Column 7: the next sighting's time and distance from census site
Column 8: the compass reading at or around the transect line. (The transect line is an imaginary line running straight out in front of the census location. Once a whale has crossed the census line, we can determine if the whale is northbound or southbound.)
Column 9: the next sighting's time and distance from the census site.
 |
| From ACS/LA Viewing Platform, Pt. Vicente, CA |
Column 11: initials of the obsever who first sighted that whale. Although other census volunteers have been tracking the whale too, normally the first person to sight the whale is the one who will track it until its last official sighting.
Column 12: total number of whales sighted so far on that day.
On the other side of the chart goes the weather condition, recorded every half hour.
Try This! Activities
- Print out the weather condition chart and see how you would answer this question: On this particular day, how did the weather conditions change between 0800 (8:00 a.m.) and 1700 (5:00 p.m.)? Write a paragraph summarizing.
- Talk the lingo! Identify (1) which photo shows Snk; (2) which photo shows BL; (3) which photo shows Pr.
 |
 |
 |
| Photo Mike & Winston |
Photo Mike & Winston |
Photo Journey North |
More Whale Watcher's Lingo
AD - Audible blow, when we heard the blow of the whale.
MILLING - The whale or whales seem to be staying for a while in one area, milling around.
PRINTING
(Pr) - (Also called footprint.) This is where we do not see a blow or
any other part of the whale's body, but we DO see a round, slick patch
on the surface of the water made by the whale's fluke as it swims just
below the surface of the water.
SNORKELING (Snk) - When the whale barely breaks the surface of
the water, exposing its blowholes. (But no visible sign of a blow.)
STEALTH - When we have been tracking a whale and suddenly we lose
it. ("Gone Stealth.")
Copyright
2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
