Appreciating the Whales of Baja California

 “Thar she blows”. That age old expression of recognition and wonder is still repeated today by the fortunate viewers, when they see a whale ejecting a huge plume of water. The gray whales are often observed in the Pacific Ocean off Baja California. The California gray whales entertain viewers with their fascinating, playful, and intelligent behaviors. Ever curious, the whales will occasionally come near whale-watching boats and allow spectators to touch them.

 Once hunted to the brink of extinction the California gray whales have been protected by law since 1947 and the populations have grown. Gray whales are usually between forty and fifty feet long and weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Females are typically bigger than males. The life span is 50 years. Gray whales have 2 vent-holes on their heads. Rather than a dorsal fin, these mammals possess a bulge upon their spine with six to a dozen nodes on the top side.  The tail parts are called flukes and are 10 to 12 feet across and notched.

Gray whales get their name from their blotched grayish coloration. Parasites attach themselves to the whales and discolor their skin. Speckles of white, yellowish, or orangish barnacles and whale lice create unique patterns on each whale that make them recognizable as individuals to the scientists who closely study them.  A few whales have had up to 100 pounds of barnacles on them.

The Lifestyle & Habits of California Grays

California gray whales populate the coastal areas of the Pacific. The California gray whales make the longest journey of any mammal, traveling 10,000 to 14,000 miles round trip every year. The trip usually takes 2-3 months. The giants spend their summers eating in the rich Bering Sea near Alaska. In the fall they migrate along the Pacific seacoast to their wintertime breeding and birthing waters of Baja California. As they migrate south from Alaska the California grays can be spotted from shore as they spout and rise to the surface to breathe. To appreciate the whale migration past resort areas of California and Baja California, boaters take tourists out on day trips to observe the whales in their migration travels.

The gray whales have no teeth but instead use their huge filtering jaws to scrounge the ocean bottom for nutrients.   They primarily suck in little invertebrates and crustaceans out of the sand and muck on the ocean floor. The whale will filter these nutrients through their jaw’s numerous baleen plates. California grays can eat 2,000 pounds of food per day containing one million calories a day.

Sociable Creatures They Aren't.

These whales and all whales for that matter are  primarily solitary mammals. We often think of whales as being very social and during migration they may migrate in small groups. Nevertheless, scientists believe that the gray whales don't develop lasting relationships. Mothers and calves develop the sole acknowledged constant relationship, which ends at weaning.   The gray whale mother is fiercely protective. During the days of whaling in Baja California this species earned the name “devilfish” derived from the mother whale’s aggressive behavior to protect its young, when under attack.

Breeding

At 8 years of age, California grays reach adulthood. They woo and mate  while migrating or in breeding lagoons in Baja California. Approximately every 2 years, females birth a single calf of about 15 feet in length. The newborn calves are black to dark gray in color and weigh over 1100 lbs. The gestation period of time is about thirteen to fourteen months. As mammals,  the whale calves are nursed for 7-9 months. Weaning takes place in the fall just in time for the migration trip from Baja back to the Alaskan waters.

Threats to California Grays

In the mid 1850’s and again in the 1900’s the slow swimming, north Pacific based gray whale was exceedingly hunted by whaling ships and near extinction. However, through aggressive protection policies and laws the California gray population recovered. It is estimated that there are 21,000 gray whales now.  The resurgence of this species was considered a success story and the California grays were removed from the endangered species list in 1993. However, the gray whales are still a listed “protected” species and are presently the subject of renewed concern.

Although trade protection from whaling has enabled the population to become reestablished, humans still cause serious threat to the whale populations.  In recent years there has been a concerning rise in gray whale deaths. Tragically, whales get ensnarled in fishing nets and crab pot lines. Additionally, big ships run into California grays, contributing to accidental injury and death. Smaller ships plague these giants, interrupting swimming patterns or dislodging calves from their mothers.

Additional potential threats include the sound created near oil and natural gas exploration activities. The blasting and beating noises occur at relative frequencies that disturb gray whale calling frequencies, possibly interfering with socializing, reproductive behaviors, and communicating between whales. Lastly, natural enemies include killer whales and sharks that attack the calves and even adults.

What can be done to help?

Over the past few years, California grays have mysteriously died in large-scale numbers. Many more than three hundred died in the year 2000. It is not understood why the deaths were this elevated. The advocacy group, The Ocean Conservancy, backed a provision authorized by the United States Congress that would require and create financial support to analyze the undetermined gray whale deaths. They also are working with the U.S. government and Mexican authorities to furnish technological aid and training to guarantee these fields of study succeed. Also, the Ocean Conservancy worked with other environmental groups to freeze the construction of a salt industrial plant in Baja California’s San Ignacio Lagoon, a critical breeding and birthing ground for California grays.

The California gray whale is a spectacular part of the natural environment in Baja and greatly beloved by the people. Each winter the return of the whales is an anticipated time. Viewing of the spouting and breaching of the whales can be done by simply pulling up a chair from an ocean side vantage point. To really get close up, however, take a trip on one of the many whale watching boats out of the harbor.