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Gray Whale Migration Update: April 17, 2002

Today's Report Includes:


Whales Plowing North!

Gray Whale Migration Route
(Click on face of map)

More than 26,000 hungry gray whales are making their slow, three-month journey from Mexico's Baja Peninsula to their feeding grounds in the Arctic. In California, the first cow/calf pairs have been sighted by Wayne Perryman and the official ACS/LA census (see more later in this report). In the north, no cow/calf pairs by Seward yet, but folks in Kodiak recently had their first gray whale sighting March 23. Susan Payne also says, "Our Whale Alert program has brought in many sightings this year. At times it seems that the grays are all around us! We seem to have more reports from within Marmot Bay from Miller Point and Long Island than last year. It could be that the migration is sweeping into the bays more this year instead of skipping from Cape to Cape." Kate Wynne saw at least a dozen grays passing Long Island (near city of Kodiak) on April 10 while out doing Steller sea lion observations. Mostly groups of 2-3; some very near shore; taking their time but heading 'north' (actually south, down the east side of Kodiak Island).

Challenge Question #16:
"Why would northbound whales change direction and head south down the east side of Kodiak Island?"

(To respond to this question, please follow the intructions below.)

There's more news from Alaska! See the full reports of our Alaska observers here:

Interview and Video From Students in Alaska

Lisa Munger at Nelson Lagoon School
Photo John Concilus

"The gray whales are all over the place," says John Concilus, principal of Nelson Lagoon School in Alaska. But that's not all the excitement up there! Last time we told you about the discovery on the beach in Nelson Lagoon and the students' visit from marine ecologist Lisa Munger of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. Today we are excited to share videotaped interview of Lisa, prepared by students from Alaska's Cold Bay School and Nelson Lagoon School. (Cold Bay is about 90 miles west of Nelson Lagoon, and the school is a CNN-authorized Student Bureau school. Thanks to principals John Concilus and Chick Beckley for sharing with us!) Sarah Beckley, Cold Bay 7th grader, did the "on-the-dock" interview and edited and assembled the footage. Nelson Lagoon 6th graders Darren Johnson and Ian Concilus did the video formatting. Congratulations to all for a splendid job!

Look and listen to hear Lisa tell us about her work with the Acoustic Research Package that washed up on the Nelson Lagoon beach. Why does Lisa say gray whales are an important species to study?

Q. and A. With Marine Ecologist Lisa Munger
Journey North also has a special interview with Lisa. When we asked Lisa what she would MOST like to tell Journey North students, she said: "One is that science is a cooperative process. Not only are we working with researchers from different agencies and with different specializations, but we also cooperate with fishermen, policy makers, and the public (such as residents of Nelson Lagoon or visitors to your website). Only in this way can science contribute something meaningful and lasting to the 'real world.' Another point is that there are still MANY unanswered, exciting questions out there. I've heard it said that we know more about outer space than we do about our own oceans. Even big questions, like where do the right whales go in winter, are still a mystery. There's unlimited potential in marine sciences (and other sciences too) to make a living, and it's so fun and worthwhile!" See our Q. and A. with Lisa (including photos) to find out more:

Then come back and answer:

Challenge Question #17:
"What two surprising things has Lisa discovered from her data?"

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Try This! Migration Perils
Rod Palm from Strawberry Isle Research Society in Clayoquot Sound, B. C. reported the first northbound grays passing Cox Point on February 20th. The grays are not only a thrilling sign of spring for folks in Clayoquot, but also a reason for much concern. Why? Rod shared this excerpt from their March newsletter. As you read the paragraph, watch for these important points:

4 dangers to migrating gray whales
1 danger particular to the Pacific Northwest
2 ways gray whales are harmed by crab trap float lines
what Strawberry Isle Research Society is doing to help gray whales

Then answer:
1. Why are cool heads and good physical condition necessary for volunteers who are helping entangled whales?
2. What title would you give to this article?

Sea Ice Not Always Nice

Photo Mike and Winston

We've been thinking a lot about sea ice and calf production this season. Gray whales feed in cold Arctic waters during summer and fall, relying on that nourishment for their journey south in the winter and until they return the following spring. For almost half the year, the ice cover on the arctic feeding grounds cuts off the whales' major food supply and forces the whales to migrate. They have to seek warmer waters to minimize energy requirements for newborn calves.

Challenge Question #18:
"Why is summer feeding better at higher latitudes?"

Last fall Wayne Perryman told us, "Because the sea ice melted a little sooner this year (2001) than the last two years in the Arctic, I think the summer feeding season for these gray whales was a little longer. I suspect the females were a little healthier this year, and that calf production will go up in spring 2002." He's counting new calves until early June, but Wayne asks you to think about other mammals affected by sea ice to see if you can answer his question:

Challenge Question #19:
"Can you name a polar mammal that, unlike the gray whale, feeds more successfully when sea ice is present?"

(To respond to these questions, please follow the instructions below.)

Cows and Calves in Good Condition
We have this good news from Wayne Perryman at his cow/calf census station in Pt. Piedras Blancas, CA: "In general the whales look good and robust this year. The cows with calves look nice and big and healthy. We saw 7 c/c pairs on April 11, which is the second highest count for this date over the 9 years of surveys. It doesn't necessarily mean anything. Maybe they are early, or maybe we just got a group swimming together. We will know more in a month." Wayne, we will stay tuned!

Whales and Jellies and More

By the Wind Sailor
Courtesy of Tom Kotzebue

What's circular, a lovely blue-purple color with violet tentacles below, and a triangular sail above? Eileen, a whale watch volunteer with the Channel Islands Sanctuary Naturalist Corps, shares this from a March 30 cruise: This is a type of jelly called By the Wind Sailor [Velella Velella]. These jellies were floating in a long curving swath, as far as we could see, in two directions. One boat captain said he hadn't seen them here in 15 years."

Now for the whales. Eileen reports for the volunteer whale watchers in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary: For passengers on the DOUBLE DOLPHIN, April 13 brought multiple sightings of two different cow/calf pairs traveling close to shore, sometimes through offshore kelp beds -- typical for mother/calf pairs. A juvenile about 25-28 feet long was swimming at about 3 knots. They also saw humpbacks, normally not present in this zone (within 5 miles of the greater Santa Barbara coastline) until May. Aboard the RANGER 85, a notable sighting occurred April 7 when a pod of 4 gray whales, which included one calf, exhibited the unusual behavior of rolling over. This behavior has been seen when Orcas are present, and it is thought to be a protective position because the softer belly and vital organs would be more difficult to attack when the whale is belly-up. Passengers on the SUNSET KIDD got a treat on April 12 when a mother and calf approached the quiet sailboat and even swam under it. Why do you think this type of behavior, for gray whales, is most common when a calf is present? The RACHEL G had exciting sightings too. They include gray whale juveniles and adults (one with calf), plus 2 humpback whales and a megapod of about 2000-3000 dolphins. Don't you wish you were there?

First Cow/Calf Pairs Off Los Angeles
"Last week we finally started to see some cow/calf pairs," report ACS volunteers Mike and Winston. The April 15 season-to-date total is 588 whales, including 16 calves, according to the ACS/Los Angeles census station at Long Point, CA (33.74 N, 118.39 W). Is the ACS census above or below last season for total number of whales? How does the number of calves this April 15 compare to April 15 in past years? You can find out the answers here:

Mike & Winston said "Wow, what a day" on April 11. "We saw 5 wonderful cow calf pairs. We saw a mother take her calf between a rock and the cliff in very shallow water. Then there was the BLUE WHALE that came in to 40 mil, and fluked each time it took a long dive."

Mike reminds us that, unlike the "single" gray whales that have already passed the census, the cow/calf pairs tend to migrate a lot closer to shore, along the surf line and kelp beds. They move a lot slower and their swimming pattern is less predictable. It is believed that the females may stop to feed and also teach their calves how to feed, to begin to make their transition from their rich mother's milk (53% butterfat) to solid food. Some mothers will reach the summer feeding grounds as early as June, while others won't arrive until August.

"Not all the mothers will arrive with their calves," says Mike. "Some will have already finished weaning (weaning can take up to 7 months) and unfortunately some calves do not make the long journey and perish from illness or predators (killer whales or large sharks)." Read on:

Try This! 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 that all ages will enjoy. Join three generations of whales on their travels. Then try a point-of-view writing experience along with other fun extensions built on this literature link to the study of gray whales. See:

First Gray in Kodiak: Discussion of Challenge Question #5
"Urban" Male Orca (curved fin) in Kodiak. Photo Rich Macintosh
Way back on March 6 we asked, "When do you predict the first gray whale will be sighted in the Gulf of Alaska, near Kodiak?"

Iselin Middle School 7th Graders Eddie Vinny and Joe predicted March 10. Susan Payne had the answer for us in today's report: March 23, although Ugak Pass and Narrow Cape had whales the end of March. Close! Thanks for your prediction!

Comparisons: Discussion of Challenge Question #13
"According to ACS/LA census data, which of the past 10 years had the greatest number of northbound whales? The least? How does that compare with April 1, 2002?"

Here's the answer from those great 7th graders at Iselin Middle School: "In the year of 1997-98 on April 1 the most whales were on their way Northbound. March 26, in the year of 2000-01, was the year of the least Northbound whales. On April 1 2002 there are only 28 Northbound whales. This is less than both prior years." Thanks Nina, Hannah, Diana and Sara!

In the Field With Wayne Perryman: Discussion of Challenge Question #14
Scientists look for correlations between variables. After you looked at some of Wayne's research, we asked: "Do you ever see a year with a long feeding season and a low of number of calves? Do you see a short feeding season followed by a high number of calves? State a hypothesis."

There's never a long feeding season followed by a low number of calves, or a short feeding season followed by a high number of calves. Possible hypotheses:
  • Number of calves born is related to fatness or condition of the female whales.
  • The longer the feeding season, the better condition the whales are in and the more calves are born the following year.
  • The amount of food available to gray whales affects their calf production the following year.

Photogrammetry Challenge: Discussion of Challenge Question #15
As we learned how Wayne Perryman takes aerial photos to measure the size, shape, and condition of the whales during migration, we asked: "How can you tell which photo shows a pregnant whale? How do the two mother whales differ in girth, and what might explain the differences?"

The pregnant gray whale (top photo) is much wider in girth. The female with the newborn (middle) is less wide. The female with older calf (bottom photo) is much thinner because she has to fast and lactate (nurse her calf) at the same time, and that uses a lot of blubber/fuel.

How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions:

IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-gwhale@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #16 (OR #17 OR #18 OR #19).
3. In the body of EACH message, give your answer to ONE of the questions above.

The Next Gray Whale Migration Update Will Be Posted on May 1, 2002.

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