GRAY WHALES AND HUMPBACKS: THE DEPENDABLE WHALES
By Esta Lee Albright
Protected since the 1960's, numbers had increased to more than 15,600 whales by the time Monterey Bay ACS was begun in 1980. Monterey's Big Sur coastline was the site of ten years of census-taking by the federal government. In 1991, the population was estimated at 21,000. Finally, Gray Whales were removed from the Endangered Species list in 1994, with a population of 23,000. Such numbers, travelling at probably three to five miles per hour, with adults about thirty-five feet long, have made easy whale watch subjects.
Other whales were reported from time to time and early issues of the ACSMB's newsletter listed some of them. The chapter had been formed only three months when, at the regular August meeting, several people quickly organized a boat trip to go a mile outside Cypress Point to watch one Blue Whale that had been discovered feeding on krill at the edge of the submarine canyon. It became apparent, however, that Blue Whales were not alone on summer feeding grounds. Historical records showed, and observers saw it was still true – there were Humpback Whales out there.
The exciting, acrobatic Humpbacks make wonderful watching. At about 50 feet and 30 tons, they move quickly through areas rich in feed, often blowing curtains of bubbles underwater to herd schools of prey. Sometimes they are in the company of hundreds of dolphins and birds in multi-species feeding aggregations. At times they surprise watchers by making them the target of Humpback curiosity. They may spyhop next to the boat, swim along the side or underneath, or float motionless just under the surface close by.
Cascadia Research and associated scientists conduct an active photo-identification program and estimate a population here of just under 1000 Humpbacks from May to November approximately. The program locates this population southwest of Mexico or west of Costa Rica in the wintertime.
Now, whale watching is almost a year-round activity and the chapter has fund-raising whale watches in both winter and summer. Trips are enhanced by surprise sightings of dolphins, including Orcas. The excitement and popularity of Orcas along the coast have added to the appeal. Unlike resident pods of Orcas in fairly predictable locations in the Pacific Northwest, transient Orcas may move along the coast from California to Alaska. They hunt marine mammals. Still expected during the spring when Orcas prey on Gray Whale calves in migration, Orcas might be sighted unpredictably at any time. The published catalog of identification marks of west coast Orcas is an ongoing research project involving Nancy Black (ACSMB member and grant recipient) and Richard Ternullo (past-president of ACSMB). Through their whale watch and research company, Monterey Bay Whale Watch, they compile mammal sightings year-round from many sources on the bay. The list is found on their web site, http://www.montereybaywhalewatch.com and is featured monthly in this chapter's newsletter, Soundings.
Illustration by Robert Western