Gray Whale Encounter!
| The first time it happened, the scientists didn’t know if they would be rammed, smashed or just capsized in their rubber boat. But amazingly, the gray whale that had appeared directly alongside their small Zodiac, just seemed to want to hang out. Soon, they discovered it also seemed to enjoy being touched. Here in the breeding grounds of the Mexican lagoons, a new phenomenon was being recorded - "friendly whales". |
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The Journey Begins
Well of course, as soon as I heard about this, I wanted to go and check it out for myself. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I had the opportunity - on a natural history cruise organized by the SeaWorld San Diego Education Department to San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja California, Mexico. We had a great trip down, stopping often to hike and learn about the native flora and fauna. We found deserted fishermen villages, now inhabited by elephant seals resting on porches and in the shade of dwellings long vacated. Long stretches of beach were broken up by rocky ledges where adult sea lions perched while the pups played in the surf below, greeting our boat with their characteristic high pitched barks.
Our boat had to obtain special permits to enter the protected waters of the gray whale’s breeding grounds. Only a few are allowed in to make sure the whales are not disturbed. We would not follow any whales in the lagoon, but rather sit and wait and see if they came to us. When we reached the lagoon, I couldn’t wait to go out in the smaller boats to meet the "friendly whales" - was it really true? Would the whales seek us out?
Why This Lagoon?
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The lagoons are the breeding and calving grounds for the gray whale, which migrates from the nourishment rich feeding grounds in the Arctic to the warm waters of Baja every year. It’s the longest known migration of any mammal. The food they consume during the summer in the Arctic must sustain them through the long migration during winter when food is scarce and traveling, birthing and breeding take precedence. Gray whales are the only whale that feeds on the ocean floor, sucking in mud, water and tons of small bottom-dwelling invertebrates like marine worms and crustaceans. Gray whales need to eat about 2,500 pounds of food each day during their four to six months in the Arctic in order to store enough energy in the blubber layer to survive until the next feeding period. |
One Whale's Tale
J.J. -- An Orphan's Story As is always the case in the harsh wild conditions, many animals don’t survive. Twice gray whales were pushed to the brink of extinction due to whaling activities, but have rebounded thanks to legal protection over the past 50 years. Some animals just can’t survive the tough migration, especially if they calve early, before they reach the warm, calm waters of Mexico. Such seemed to be the case in the story of J.J., a calf just a few days old taken in by SeaWorld when the mother was no where to be found. The calf was already comatose, the prognosis poor. I was there the first night she arrived, and helped swim her around the medical pool while she received necessary fluids and medication from veterinarians and animal care staff which would care for her 24 hours a day for over a year. It was truly a miracle to watch this orphan gain strength and size - she grew over a pound an hour on the rich formula, krill and squid she was given every few hours. The day she was returned to the sea was a nationwide event, but a very personal one for the team that had cared for her so long. We were able to give one young gray whale a second chance at survival, but were also sad to see her go. Would she be able to reach adulthood this time around? |
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Thar She Blows!
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| At a length up to 46 feet long, and weighing almost 70,000 pounds, it was an exhilarating experience to be out in a 12 foot long boat waiting for a full grown adult gray whale to approach. We didn’t have to wait long before one spy-hopped right -- and I mean right -- in front of our boat. I was looking into the huge eye of an enormous mammal, and it had come over to look back at us! Here, I definitely got the impression that we were the attraction, the ones on display, and the whales enjoyed the break in routine. This trip has always been one of my favorites - usually we spend days and days trying to get close enough to wild animals to take a few pictures with out them becoming wary and moving off. Here,without the benefit of acclimation, as happens in many reserves, these animals want to find out about us, and in turn, we are rewarded. | |
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