Field Notes from Susan Payne May 19, 1999 Susan Payne with son Will Ross H. Dumm The northern most sighting in Alaska is still being reported by Jim Browning of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game out of Dillingham. Aerial surveys for herring have watched as large numbers of gray whales have gathered between Kulukak Point (58.86 N, -159.67 W) and the south end of Hagemeister Island (58.63 N, -161.00 W). In California, the American Cetacean Society (ACS) census from Point Vicente on the Palos Verdes Peninsula near Los Angeles (33.44 N, -118.24 W) has finished as of Saturday, May 15, with a total northbound gray whale count of 1363 including 34 cow/calf pairs. The Southwest Fisheries Science Center cow/calf census from Point Piedras Blancas (35.67 N, -121.28 W) in San Luis Obispo County (please note the location; I need to correct my last report) has seen 72 cow/calf pairs as of Monday, May 17. I am sorry to say that this will be my last gray whale report of 1999, but we are all beginning to look ahead to the 2000 northbound migration! I am hopeful that we have provided you with some interesting information this year as it has been an interesting northbound migration. A few of the highlights have been: stormy conditions along the entire migration route making whale watching difficult this year; surface feeding gray whales on large schools of krill in California from Los Angeles to Monterey; except for higher than ususal numbers in March off Los Angeles, to date there have been fewer northbound cow/calf pairs; a population estimate of 26,635 gray whales by the National Marine Mammal Laboratory; and thicker ice and a later break up of ice in the Bering Sea. The timing of the "firsts" seemed to be similar to last year except for their arrival in Togiak which was delayed because of the ice. We have been very fortunate to have made contacts along the migration route with people dedicated to observing and understanding the gray whales, and I want to thank them for their repeated information these months. Alisa Schulman-Janiger, the coordinator for the ACS census at Point Vicente on the Palos Verdes Peninsula (33.44 N, -118.24 W) concluded the census on May 15. The total northbound count was 1363 gray whales, including 34 cow/calf pairs or 2.5 % of the total; the total southbound count was 682 whales, including 15 cow/calf pairs. This year's northbound cow/calf pair count is the lowest since the 1990/91 season, and they are still hoping that it is a late migration this year. The highest weekly cow/calf pair count of the year, nine, compares to 50 last year. A friend of Alisa's told her that the calf count in San Ignacio is the lowest in 10 years. Alisa tells me that the monthly break down of cow/calf pairs was also unusual this year: 12 cow/calf pairs in March; 9 in April; and 13 in May. I have included a few highlights below. For more check out the ACS daily count. May 14 : One cow/calf pair. May 14,10,7: A few gray whales feeding in the Los Angeles harbor. May 13: One blue whale seen for three hours blowing and fluking near shore, and then heading West. May 9: The last southbound gray whale that appeared to be a juvenile. May 4: Three cow/calf pairs; the highest c/c count. Mike and Winston report: May 7: Five to six feeding blue whales were seen by a boat out of Dana Point(33.45 N, -117.70 W), fifty miles south of the ACS census site. There was possibly a calf with the pod. Wayne Perryman, of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, reports that, as of Monday, May 17, 72 cow/calf pairs have been seen. Twelve hours of observations on Monday saw no gray whales. These are the lowest cow/calf pairs for this date since the census from Point Piedras Blancas (35.67 N, -121.28 W) in San Luis Obispo County (please note the location; I need to correct my last report) started in 1994. I received an article from The Herald of Monterey (without a date) about the Piedras Blancas census that had some interesting gray whale facts from Wayne Perryman that I thought I should share with you. In the article Wayne said that " the population of gray whales seems to be increasing at about 2.5 percent a year while calf production is about 6 percent. The difference between the two numbers is probably due to the mortality rate, meaning between 600 and 1,000 gray whales would be expected to die every year. Since they are a coastal animal, we are going to see the carcasses, and as the population increases, we're going to see more." Nancy Black of Monterey Bay Whale Watch reports that they have still not seen any cow/calf pairs yet this year. The grays are still feeding on krill. Two gray whales stayed about three weeks in the area, and were repeatedly identified by Nancy. Because of all the storms and wave action this year, the upwelling has created perfect conditions for the abundant krill. Unusual this year also, the krill are earlier than other years, and are on the surface of the ocean. Many humpbacks are in Monterey Bay right now! Nancy and the National Geographic team are still out looking for killer whale predation on the gray whales. Rod Palm, the principle investigator for the Strawberry Island Research Society in Tofino (49.10 N, -125.93 W) was out when I tried to contact him. Apparently, few whales are going by there right now. My contact in Seward, Leslie Hines of Kenai Fjords Tours, told me that they seem to be seeing fewer whales at this time than other years. She wonders if they are traveling offshore, but she admits the weather has been partly to blame for fewer sightings. They are seeing humpbacks in the area. Now that Whale Fest (please note address change) is over we are fortunate that the M/V Ten Bears is out and about, and contributing to our reports. Unfortunately, we do not have a constant presence at Narrow Cape; that is the best place to get an accurate idea of what is going on. May 8: One gray whale late in the afternoon, two humpbacks, and three fin whales east of Cape Greville (59.58 N, -152.16 W). The fin whales were porpoising. Both fins and humpbacks were feeding on a deep feed layer at 36-44 fathoms near the bottom. Also sighted were a large flock of red throated loons, ancient auklets, puffins offshore, and the first fulmars of the season. May 16: A single adult gray whale on the north end of Long Island (57.76N,-152.26W). A dozen humpbacks over deep water at Bouy 3 (57.83 N, -152.40 W) May 16: Six gray whales in the morning, and two in the afternoon at Cape Chiniak(57.62 N, -152.17 W). They seemed to be feeding. May 13: Two fin whales in Sheratin Bay (57.58 N, -152.75 W) spotted by Bruce Short. Buck Laukitis has been traveling in his boat from Kodiak to False Pass in the last two weeks. He reports seeing no gray whales in Shelikof Strait (58.00 N, -154.00 W) or at Chignik (56.30 N, -158.38 W), but he did see a large male orca in the middle of the Shelikof Straits. That is not all! May 13: Five orcas "mauling" a gray whale right next to the False Pass dock (54.85 N, -163.40W)! Buck and eleven others watched as the orcas were trying to keep the whale down, but they did not see how the struggle ended as the whale group drifted north with the tide. The orcas were all females or immatures on the small side, and they had dull gray patches on their sides making them look almost black. Unfortunately, Craig Matkin with the North Gulf Oceanic Society was not there; he studies killer whales, and had been in False Pass only days before. Only three days to go for the False Pass school where John Concilius is the Principle. John reports alot of gray whales in the pass last week, and large numbers the last few days. John tried to get some photos of the orca attack that Buck Laukitus reported, but by the time he arrived they had gone. He adds to Buck's story that the gray whale was small, possibly a young whale. Maybe now you can see some gray whales from the live weather camera on Isanotski Strait. Jim Browning with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game(ADF&G) is out in Togiak, Alaska and is unavailable by phone. However, I am receiving the Togiak Herring Announcements by email. As of Sunday, May 16 the ADF&G herring aerial surveys estimated 20,000 tons of herring between Kikertalik lake on the Nushagak Peninsula (58.95 N, -158.47 W) west to Togiak Reef (58.88 N, -160.38 W). Samples of the herring roe are yielding low percentages of mature roe, 3%. Commercial fishing periods will be established when it is determined that marketable sac roe herring are present on the fishing grounds; I do not have the guideline percentage. The fleet of nine processors, 50 tenders, 30 purse seiners and 22 gillnetters are now on the grounds. Large numbers of gray whales are being seen between Kulukak Point (58.86 N, -159.67 W) to the south end of Hagemeister Island (58.63 N, -161.00 W) , with increased seal and sea lion activity. Water temperatures are coming up, as of Sunday, three to four degrees celsius; shorefast ice was reported last on May 15. Again, I refer you to the National Weather Service, Alaska Region for a picture of the ice situation May 15: Over 1500 gray whales estimated, and seal and sea lion activity between Kulukak Point (58.86 N, -159.67 W) and the south end of Hagemeister Island (58.63 N, -161.00 W). May 13: 1000 gray whales estimated, and no seal and sea lion activity between Kulukak Point (58.86 N, -159.67 W) to the south end of Hagemeister Island (58.63 N, -161.00 W). May 11: A pod of 10-20 gray whales estimated, and seal, but no sea lion activity between Kulukak Point (58.86 N, -159.67 W) to the south end of Hagemeister Island (58.63 N, -161.00 W). May 6: A pod of 20-50 gray whales between Right Hand Point (58.75 N, -159.92 W) and Summit Island (58.90 N,-160.18 W); and seals off Anchor Point. I spoke with Larry Dickerson, a biologist with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, up in Gambel (63.83N, -146.68 W) on St. Lawrence Island. They have not seen any gray whales there yet, and only a few bowhead whales. The walrus hunting seems to be going pretty well. In the last week the hunters have been out four days, and in that time they have taken 250 walrus of an annual take of 400-650 animals. On Friday, May 14, 25 boat crews brought in 128 walrus. There is still alot of ice there. The walrus hunters are having to haul their 18 foot aluminum skiffs five miles over ice to reach open water. Larry says the gray whales are there usually in June. Charles Lean, also of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, in Nome (64.50 N, -165.40 W)tells me that they are having a late breakup, and that the ice is still thick. This ice situation in Nome was last seen in 1992, and before that in 1985 and 1975. Charles has heard of open water towards Teller, Alaska on the Seward Peninsula (65.27 N, -166.35 W), and says that the Russian side of the Bering Sea has more open water. Charles Burkey, with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Bethel, Alaska also flies aerial herring surveys. Their survey flown on May 16, saw no whales, no herring, and only one sea lion between Security Cove (58.67 N, -161.85 W) on the southeast shore of Kuskokwim Bay, and Goodnews Bay (59.83 N, -161.67 W). Ice coverage there was about forty percent; water temperature is one degree celsius. Susan Payne with son Will Ross H. Dumm Our Journey North reports will be long finished by the time the gray whales reach Point Hope, Alaska (68.33 N, -166.67 W). Our contact there is Sheila Gaquin at the Point Hope School. She reports that the first bowhead whale was taken by the Inupiat people of Point Hope on Monday, May 17 at 0600. " The village is very excited, for this means there will be plenty of meat and muktuk for the coming season. It also means lots of work, since nothing is wasted, all must be brought off the ice and stored in ice caves dug into the permafrost. many kids are gone from school today, because their hands are needed for this task." Sheila also talks of the coming of the gray whales to Point Hope. " The gray whales come and go here without much notice. By the time they arrive, the ice is gone. The whales pass by offshore some distance, and the village has turned its attention from the sea to the land (caribou), and river (fish). People do not go on the ocean here when there is no ice." Here in Kodiak, we just had the first warm and sunny weekend of the spring. The bear tracks finally appeared on the mountains across from our house; on Thursday, May 13, we noticed them. The bears have likely been out from hibernation for awhile though. In the last week the blueberry flowers also appeared; nettles and fiddlehead ferns, which we like to eat, are just starting. A week ago, eventhough the herring season opened in Kodiak on April 15, we saw our first herring in Anton Larsen Bay (57.87 N, -152.63 W), where we live. Artic Terns were first spotted around town May 10, but these common summer residents have not yet entered Anton Larsen Bay. We are getting excited about the salmon season opening on June 9; we will then be outside everyday for the summer! The days continue to lengthen: on May 19, sunrise is 0439 and sunset is 2135 for a total of 16 hours and 56 minutes of daylight. Answer #6: We had some very good responses for the definition of fecundity. In the Dictionary of Biology (Abercrombie, M. et al., 1980) the definition is short: the reproductive output, usually of an individual; number of offspring produced. In Webster's Third New International Dictionary, the definition includes: the quality or the power of producing offspring especially in abundance or the quality that conduces this; the potential reproductive capacity. You might ask, "Homework?" Other than the whale deaths along the West Coast, I have not mentioned in my reports this year some of the current newsworthy issues and events that possibly could impact the gray whales along their migration route. You might want to look on the internet for more information on what I have listed, or keep your ears open for news on these subjects. I will not provide too much detail, but you will likely hear more, and you can email in other human impacts you may have thought of in your studies or seen in these Journey North reports. Mitsubishi Corporation would like to build a salt evaporation facility in San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, located in the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve. They are currently operating a similar saltworks in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon. The Makah nation of Washington state has received permission to take up to 20 gray whales in the next 5 years, not to exceed 5 whales per year. On May 10, they activated their 10-day whaling permit, and announced the beginning of their hunt. They successfully landed their first gray whale on Monday, May 17 at 0655; here is one report from the Seattle Times on the Makah Hunt. Oil spills like off Oregon this spring. Everyday human impacts of noise and vessel activity Unimak Island according to a study by Polly Hessing in 1981. Susan Payne National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center Kodiak, Alaska Back to Today's Report Copyright 1999 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form