Introduction The Gray whale is the oldest species of whale alive on the planet today, highly evolved and unique in many ways! It is called a primitive whale because it is not related to any other living creature, and is linked only to sub fossils of extinct relatives of long ago. Gray Whales are the only species of whale that feed on the ocean floor, grazing much like land mammals such as cows, sheep and elephants. The have similar digestive systems and blood and their vocalizations are nearly identical to some elephants. The gray whale's coastal lifestyle which once made them popular to hunt, now provides us excellent viewing and study opportunities. Whale watching has become increasingly popular worldwide, making live whales more economically valuable than hunted ones. This shift from hunting to viewing is certainly a welcome change, which will allow some populations to recover from near extinction, however, most large scale commercial ventures take their toll in some form or another. Studies are currently underway to determine how this new tourism industry will affect the animals. The remarkable recovery of the gray whale from near extinction from overhunting is indeed an international success story, but the future survival of the species depends on our ability to effectively manage human activities that adversely affects the whales and their habitat. A Challenge lies before us to find new ways of once again co-existing harmoniously with whales. We must explore and develop ecologically responsible methods of wildlife viewing that has minimal impact on the animals and their environment. The Beginning The gray whale's life cycle begins in the sheltered calving lagoons, surrounded by Baja California's desert. Mating and calving takes place in late December and early January and the whales remain there only long enough for the newborn calves to gain enough strength to make the long, arduous swim north. The males and newly pregnant females, anxious to begin feeding, lead off the northern migration in early February, followed by the cows and calves 6-8 weeks later. The grays may travel in small groups for protection from predators, making up to 160km (100 miles) a day to arrive in Alaska in 95-100 days. In early June, they reach the feeding grounds of the Arctic Ocean, Bering and Chukchi seas, where they continuously gorge on tiny crustaceans on the ocean floor. The leisurely stragglers arrive as late as August, having stopped to eat along the way. As winter closes in and the ice packs form in early October, the pregnant females, anxious to reach the warm, protected calving lagoons, set off south first at a faster pace than the re northern trek. The rest of the herd follows with the mating trios engaging in courtship all the way south where the life cycle repeats itself as it has for thousands of years. Some whales with calves and possibly those that are sick, or too old or young to mate, often do not make the full migration and remain to feed along the Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia west coast. There is a returning group of resident grays that feed each summer off the west coast of Vancouver Island, providing 8 months of excellent viewing opportunities in a beautiful setting. The calving lagoon of Ojo de Liebre (Scammon's Lagoon) in Baja Mexico, has the greatest concentration of animals, (about 1500) with San Ignacio Lagoon having about 200-300 grays and Magdelena Bay has a couple hundred whales as well. After mating, the males can be seen frolicking off the Mexico coast, at Cabo San Lucas and even up into the Gulf of California. The gray whale, nicknamed the desert whale is the only species of whale that seeks shelter from the open ocean in the desert surrounded lagoons. Here, protected from predators, there is much more vocal activity (low grunts and groans on a frequency 10 times lower than our ears perceive). These fragile lagoons are spectacular places to view whales in the wild, but care must be taken not to disturb the nursing mothers and newborns. The coastal migration that once offered excellent hunting opportunities, now provides exceptional viewing and wildlife photography. Unfortunately, the proximity to human habitat negatively impacts the species with toxic pollution, harassment, and serious collisions with ships. All of the may affect migration routes, natural behavior and feeding patters. With the resumption of hunting, we watch with sad hearts to see if the grays will once again migrate further offshore to avoid these perils. Migration Most of the Eastern Pacific population of gray whales migrate close in along the coastline. This 16,000km round trip is the longest migration of any marine mammal. With a cruising speed of 2-5 knots, they travel about 20 hours a day only pausing to rest and feed. It is thought that they navigate using memorized bottom contours, familiar land marks, ocean currents, feed sampling as well as possibly the earth's magnetic field to guide them. The Pacific Gray Whale Taxonomy:
Other Names:
Distribution:
Excerpts on this page taken
from "Gray Whale Handbook" -
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