November: The Journey South

November: The Journey South
In November the southward migration is underway for most gray whales. As ice forms on their feeding waters, they will swim 24 hours a day to their winter home in the warm lagoons of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The journey is more than 5,000 miles. The whales may travel so close to the coast that people can see them. Whale watchers look for whale spouts, or blows. These spouts are made by a whale's exhale. Spouts are clear signals that whales are passing!

A baby whale's mouth is open, showing the baleen.

Photo: Michael H. Smith, Gray Whales Count


Overview: The Annual Cycle of the Gray Whale
January	February	March	April	May	June
July	August	September	October	November	December
November: The Journey South In November the southward migration is underway for most gray whales. As ice forms on their feeding waters, they will swim 24 hours a day to their winter home in the warm lagoons of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The journey is more than 5,000 miles. The whales may travel so close to the coast that people can see them. Whale watchers look for whale spouts, or blows. These spouts are made by a whale's exhale. Spouts are clear signals that whales are passing! Photo: Michael H. Smith, Gray Whales Count