Northbound gray whales migrate alone, in pairs, and in groups.
Oregon Parks and Recreadtion Department

Large pulses swell the counts as the first northbound phase (non-calves) of gray whales peaks. Mothers with babies are steadily coming, too! Grays in the lead are now passing Washington State. It hasn't been all fair skies and calm seas: fog shut down counting sites on a few days, and volunteers also reported battled high winds, rain, and even hail. Here's the latest from California, Oregon and Washington:

California:
"What an amazing week!" exclaimed Alisa Schulman-Janiger, Director of the Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project. Here's why:

"Our highest northbound counts so far are 110 grays (including 5
southbound)`on March 18, and 109 grays (including 2 southbound) on March 20. These are our two highest counts in 29 seasons, since March 1988, likely coinciding with our peak northbound migration; however, five days of fog right before these high counts, with no visibility on three days, makes that
peak northbound pulse impossible to confirm. Our counts are now at 1250 southbound grays (including 68 newborns) and 1104 northbound grays (including 11 northbound calves). This compares to counts to date last season of 1426 southbound grays (including 33 newborns) and 1759 northbound grays (including 11 calves).

Two very interesting sightings occurred last week: We tracked an entangled northbound gray whale for 90 minutes on March 20, after we were alerted by the Large Whale Entanglement Network that it had been spotted March 19 off of Dana Point. It has pink gillnet wrapped around its flukes, with green line and multiple small black floats. It was re-sighted off of Santa Barbara on March 22, but sea conditions were too rough to attempt a rescue. Coastal whale watchers are on alert for this whale right now. See photo and more.

On March 22 we spotted a gray whale with no flukes! We first thought that it was a rolling whale that was displaying its pectoral flipper. Perhaps it is the same flukeless gray whale that we tracked on March 16, 2015.

Northbound whales are picking up the pace at Gray Whales Count, and Counters saw their first babies on March 26! Director Michael H. Smith wrote:" It has taken us a while, but we saw the first calf of our 2017 survey, and it was a part of a pair of mother/calf pairs, so we saw our second calf as well!" The high-count date so far this season was March 20, with 50 whales using the nearshore of the Santa Barbara Channel. Check their data: How many days so far has this official scientific survey site had to shut down because of too much fog, wind or rain to see any whales?

Scott and Theresa Mercer, founders of Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study on duty at Pt. Arena CA (39 N, -123.7 W) had their first confirmed mother/baby sighting on March 20 — after four winters of waiting! "We watched in awe as a very energetic calf breached 8 times with his mom nearby before swimming northbound to continue their journey. It was thrilling! Tiny at maybe 16 feet...Four winters out here and our first confirmed sighting of a m/c."

Oregon
It's Spring Whale Watch Week (March 25 to March 31) at Depoe Bay. This year you can watch the whales, too, thanks to a new live stream from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The stream will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day of Whale Watch Week, showing a spot off the coast of Depoe Bay where migrating gray whales frequently pass. Tune in to be a whale watcher!

Washington
This month some familiar favorites returned:

"The 2nd "Sounder" (the gray whales who stop and stay to feed in Puget Sound) is back! About 400 gray whales stop here and become "residents." Instead of continuing to Alaska to feed in the summer, they stay and feed along the coasts of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia....We were happy to again see #49 Patch, and the 2nd of the "Sounders" to arrive - #56! They were traveling together, first sighted south of Camano Head....These whales arrive very hungry, having not eaten for 3-4 months. They'll stay in Possession Sound/Saratoga Passage for about 2 months, feasting on mud shrimp and ghost shrimp, before heading further north."
— Courtesy Orca Network. Jill H, volunteer naturalist, Mystic Sea