More Moms and Babies

Survey sites counting northbound moms and babies are excited about what they're seeing as this phase of the journey north begins!

• "We really started seeing lots of calves this week," reports Alisa Schulman-Janiger, Director of the Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project at ACS/LA. "In the past 5 days, we have spotted 26 calves—including 9 on April 18—our biggest calf day so far! Our northbound count that day was 1559 northbound grays (with 51 calves). Last season at this time we had counted 1204 gray whales (with 43 calves), so we are ahead of last year's count—which ended up being a record high northbound calf count (286) for us! Although we are still seeing a few single whales, we are firmly into the Phase B northbound migration phase: moms and calves. Those numbers should continue to rise over the next two weeks. Last season's peak calf count occurred on April 25th with 15 cow/calf pairs."
• Further north, April 18th was also a big day at Gray Whales Count near Santa Barbara, CA. They tallied nine pairs of moms and calves passing the survey site at Counter Point. "Two of the afternoon pairs arrived together and had to swim around a group of kayakers," noted Director Michael H. Smith.
• Further north yet, at Pt. Piedras Blancas and the government's official mom/baby count site, Wayne Perryman reports: "We expect a surge this week and next."

Here they come!

Gray whale calf passing the ACS/LA ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project at Pt. Vicente, CA. on April 14, 2015