FINAL Gray Whale Migration Update: May 15, 2002 Today's Report Includes: A Successful Season for Gray Whales Something to Cheer About! Beast Feast Stopping On the Way: Resident Whales Whales Face Dangers Caring for the Whales More Photo ID Studies Back to the Lagoons! A Word from Professor Villavicenzio to Nelson Lagoon Students Cold Water: Discussion of Challenge Question #20 Counting Whales: Discussion of Challenge Question #21 Year-End Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts! Gray Whale Migration Route (Click on face of map) A Successful Season for Gray Whales Gray whales are still plowing north, but we have smaller numbers and fewer reports this week. On an aerial survey out of Kodiak Island, Alaska on May 12, Kate Wynne saw 8-10 grays that appeared to be migrating past the east side of Kodiak. She saw another dozen or so that were feeding and "are likely among those that stick around for the summer and feed in Kodiak waters." Also in Kodiak, Susan Payne's last whale alert was May 2, when two grays were seen heading east off the town of Kodiak. The official census by the American Cetacean Society/Los Angeles (33.74.N, -118.39W) ends on May 15! Numbers are lower than average, but with more calves than last year's low. The northbound total as of May 13 was 1174 gray whales, including 70 calves north. To compare this season with the past ten journeys north, see: ACS/LA Census (Apr. 30 - May 13, and Historical Data) NOTE: Because the majority of gray whales use off-shore migratory routes in this area, especially on the southbound migration, this census sees only a small proportion of the total gray whale population. The counts cannot be used to determine that population. Instead, this project focuses on finding out about whales' seasonal usage of the nearshore migratory path, and documents changing trends over time. Something to Cheer About! Mother/Calf. Mike & Winston. At Piedras Blanca near San Diego, Wayne Perryman's cow/calf census continues. Last year at this time, Wayne had lowest calf count by this date in eight years of surveys from this site. Today he sends much better news! "Counts of gray whale cows with calves have dropped down to 1 or 2 in the 12 hour watch period, so the party is almost over. The count stands at 278 calves so far, up from 87 last year, so we have a clear recovery in calf production for this population. We will be on watch for another two weeks just to be sure that there isn't a pulse waiting to come through." Wayne also summarizes what we learned by studying his ice/calf data and photogrammetry in earlier reports this season: "Calf production is linked to condition (fatness) of adult females, which is linked to access to prey early in the summer feeding season, which is linked to the distribution of seasonal ice in the Arctic." To check the location of the arctic ice pack today, see: West Arctic Ice Page: Scroll Down to Maps for Bering and Chukchi Seas Farther south, volunteer whale watchers at Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary in Santa Barbara, CA are seeing some gray whales and many other marine species. Another mother/calf pair was spotted as recently as May 12, so the migration is not over. All the gray whales seen were following the coastline west, on their northward migration. These observations are reminders that tracking the gray whale migration is not easy! We are grateful to the many dedicated observers who go out in boats or take to the beaches with binoculars to bring us news of the whale migration, and take this opportunity to say THANK YOU! Their comments help us feel like we're there. Through them, we can share the wonder of the gray whale migration, occurring once again as it has for tens of thousands of years! Read on for more news, and think about the conclusions you'll draw for the gray whales' 2002 journey north. Beast Feast Do you see the 3-5 throat grooves on the underside? These expand when the whale is feeding. Mike & Winston. Feeding is the main activity of hungry whales returning north. During its five- or six-month feast on the Arctic feeding grounds, an adult gray whale will likely swallow at least 67 tons of food. Even though they appear to do a small amount of feeding in fall and winter whenever they can find a food source, whales have a LOT of weight to gain back after months of living off fat reserves in the calving and mating lagoons and along the migration trail! Susan Payne fills us in with some scientific information on the feasting of gray whales. When you read it, you'll find out why scientists think gray whales turn on their side while feeding, and what feeding tracks are: Beast Feast Stopping On the Way: Resident Whales The gray whales swim farther north only as the melting ice permits, waiting until after the ice is gone. Because of this behavior, people look at changes in the Bering Sea ice maps to help them know when the gray whales will return. Grays and the whales with dorsal fins usually don't swim as far as Point Hope, AK until July! It used to be thought that all the gray s moving through the migratory corridor off Washington in March would be continuing north. It turned out fully 25 percent were actually stopping off as residents. While the great majority move on to the Bering Sea, gray whales have been documented staying in Washington state for at least 112 days of the year. Some whales move up and down the coast, feeding in a variety of habitats between Northern California and Southeast Alaska. A few hundred gray whales that are seen in the summer and fall off Northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia appear to return each year to feed. How many residents are there? How big an area do they use? What is their relationship to the larger population of migratory gray whales? Are they a distinctive group, or do they mingle with the other grays? Do the resident whales have a knowledge of the local waters that has developed over a long period of time, and which would be lost if these whales died off? Photo ID studies (like you tried in our May 1 report with the guidance of Dr. William Megill) are helping to answer questions like these. Which whales are the returning residents? Many people are very concerned about the identity and safety of these whales. Whale hunting, although banned by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, still makes headlines. Read more: Whales Face Dangers Mike and Winston, Whale Watchers In 1999, the Makah Nation in Neah Bay, Washington revived their hunting tradition, sanctioned by the International Whaling Commission. (They were prevented from hunting for this spring when protesters got the courts to tell them to stop.) More than 100 gray whales are taken each year in subsistence harvest by Russian natives who live in the Chukotka region bordering the Bering Strait. This week, Mike and Winston wrote, "As we wind down another gray whale migration season, I'd like to take a few moments to address some of the problems facing not only the gray whales, but all whales. See Mike's comments here as you decide how you feel about these important issues: Whale Enemies: Orcas and Humans Caring for the Whales Earlier this year, we shared a story about the dangers of crab trap lines entangling whales. As you read this report, a humpback whale is in trouble from fishing nets. Volunteers at Channel Islands National Marine Mammal Sanctuary seny these photos May 13 to remind us how dangerous huge fishing nets are to all marine mammals, The nets don't break apart to release larger creatures that get trapped in them. This humpback whale has been entangled for 3 weeks. Entangled Humpback in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Photos by Michael H. Smith Just as humans caused the problem, they can also be part of the solution. The volunteers tell us that this whale (they call Poly) is estimated at about 35' in length, and still has not been freed. Certain conditions must be met before the whale can be rescued: 1 The sighting needs to be reported to the SB Marine Mammal Center early in the day. 2 Volunteer personnel and a boat need to be available that day. 3 The wind/wave conditions need to be relatively calm. 4 On-going sightings are needed to track the animal, until the volunteers and boat are able to gather and get underway. We hope these conditions can be met today, and Poly will soon be free! More Photo ID Studies Gray whales are only a few of the many sea mammals reported by volunteers in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary right now. We thought you'd like to hear more. Blue whales migrate from breeding grounds near Costa Rica to the Channel Islands area to feed during summer months, and the world's largest whales are being seen there now. A blue whale photo identification project is underway. These whales are identified by the light and dark gray patterns along their sides. Many photos have also been taken of orcas, and some of the photos appear below. These pictures will be sent to a researcher who has been compiling photo-identification of orcas that range along the Pacific Coast. The dorsal fins, the saddles (white markings behind dorsal fins, and eye-patch marks will be studied as experts try to identify these individuals. Take a closer look yourself!       Orcas, Michael H. Smith Back to the Lagoons! Whale Watching in Laguna Ojo de Liebre As we think about the safety of whales everywhere, we share this happy note from a volunteer who visited the protected lagoons of Baja during March. Can you picture what she's describing? "Today we are again approached by a mother and her calf (we wondered if they might be the same whales we met yesterday as they were in about the same location). This pair is even more playful. The baby came and touched our hands; even the mother allowed us to stroke her fin! The mother and baby were swimming around the boat and blowing and getting us a little wet, but we were loving it! They were also swimming under the panga, oh so carefully, so as not to rock our boat. When you look into their eyes, you see their beauty and the experience is unforgettable. You know right then and there that you must protect them from environmental pollution, whaling and whatever other dangers there are so that they will be here for our future generations to marvel over." This is a good message for all of us. And here's another, written by Iowa teacher Curt Froyen. He traveled to Laguna Ojo de Liebre with a lucky group of students under the leadership of Keith "Baja" Jones. (Our February reports told of my own trip to Guerrero Negro, also led by Keith Jones.) Mr. Froyer writes: "I teach at Knoxville High School in Knoxville, Iowa and traveled to see the whales with my students, who ranged from 15 to 18 years old. This trip was awesome. Keith has everything planned out to the minutest detail. He allows time for relaxation, but also has excellent learning opportunities every day. He goes out of his way to see that everyone involved respects the whales. We definitely were VISITORS to their homes...not intruders. Every student and parent commented on what a fantastic learning opportunity this trip was. Everyone would love to go again. Keith is exceptionally knowledgeable and so interesting to talk with. Any teacher or parent can be absolutely assured of the safety of the students and of a world-class learning opportunity. I have taken students on trips for almost thirty years and I can say without any hesitation that this was truly a trip of a lifetime." Did Mr. Froyen talk you into planning your own field trip to the lagoons? If so, you can contact his tour leader, Keith Jones, here: Baja Jones Adventure Travel 1707 Oak Hill Court, Ontario, CA 91761. Phone 909-923-8933. keith@greywhale.com A Word from Professor Villavicenzio to Nelson Lagoon Students Professor Villavicenzio Remember the students at Amado Nervo School in Guerrero Negro, BCS? You met them in earlier reports this season in our cultural exchange between schools at both ends of the whale migration trail. This week we share a farewell note of hope and thanks from the teacher in Mexico, Professor Villavicenzio: Hear Professor Villavicenzio (Spanish Audio Clip) Here are the translations in Spanish and English: Damos las gracias a ustedes, a ese grupo de Alaska por esta comunicación que estamos inciando. Ojalá que sea eso permanente todos los años. Mi nombre es Rafael Villavencio y me gustaría seguir con esta comunicación que nos llevaría a unir más los países, las comunidades donde la ballena gris está haciendo su arribo cada año. Gracias y felicidades a todos los niños de allá. We thank you, the group from Alaska, for this communication that we are initiating. I hope that it will be permanent every year. My name is Rafael Villavicenzio and I would like to continue with this communication, which will lead us to further unite the countries and communities where the gray whale is arriving every year. Thank you and congatulations to all of the kids there. Cold Water: Discussion of Challenge Question #20 "What is the Fahrenheit reading for sea water that's 1.5 degrees C.?" Use this formula to change Celsius to Fahrenheit: Multiply Celsius by 9/5; then add 32. Another way is to multiply Celsius by 1.8 and add 32. The answer is 34.7 degrees F. Counting Whales: Discussion of Challenge Question #21 We asked you to look at the ACS-LA census data for dates April 16 up to 29 and we asked: "What was so unusual about the sightings from ACS/LA census on Earth Day, April 22? What were the two biggest days for cows/calves going north?" NO whales were seen on Earth Day, the only day of zero sightings! The two biggest days for seeing cows and calves were April 16 and 18, with 7 pairs on each of those days. (Remember: This data is only for sightings at Point Vicente, CA.) Year-end Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts! Please take a few minutes to share your suggestions and comments in our Year-End Evaluation Form below. The information you provide at the end of each year is the single most important tool used to guide our planning. Journey North Year End Evaluation Please share your thoughts This is the FINAL Gray Whale Migration Update. Please join us again next spring, when we hope the good news about calf production continues! Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form