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Whale watchers get a rare glimpse of a newborn gray whale calf as it migrates South with its mother nearby. (by Tim Wong) Whale Watching Weekly UpdateThe coast of San Diego is a busy place! With so much wildlife right in our backyard, each trip is guaranteed to be exciting and unforgettable. Between December and March, naturalists from Birch Aquarium at Scripps head out to the open seas in search of migrating gray whales. The gray whales arrive in San Diego towards the end of December from their cold feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. The gray whales are headed to the warm, protected lagoons of Baja California, Mexico where they will give birth and mate before heading north again in March. Their migration route takes them within miles of our coastline, offering a great, up-close opportunity!
Week 1: December 26 - December 27Total number of whales observed Week 2: December 28 – January 3Total number of whales observed Behaviors observed Week 3: January 4 – January 10Total number of whales observed Week 4: January 11 – January 17Total number of whales observed Week 5: January 18 – 24
Total number of whales observed Week 6: January 25 – January 31
Total number of whales observed Week 7: February 1-February 7Total number of whales observed Week 8: February 8 – February 14Total number of whales observed Week 9: February 15 – February 21Total number of whales observed28 whales (includes 3 fin whales and 1 humpback whale) Behaviors observedIt appears that the gray whales have officially begun their migration North. This week marked the most consistent sightings of northbound gray whales. While the typical behavior continued, other behaviors observed included one gray whale breaching, a group of gray whales rolling over each other, and a humpback whale slapping its pectoral fins and breaching! The majority of whales observed this week were headed North. Week 10: February 22 - February 28Total number of whales observed34 gray whales. All whales were adults or sub-adults. Behaviors observedNo "play" behaviors were observed this week. All whales were showing typical migration behavior - sounding and blowing. All whales this week were headed North and traveling in small groups of 2 to 5 individuals. Week 11: March 1 – March 7Total number of whales observed56 whales, includes 1 humpback whale. Behaviors observedMigration behavior – sounding and blowing. We also observed rolling and breaching. Small groups of gray whales traveling together. All whales headed North. Week 12: March 8 – March 14Total number of whales observed46 whales, includes 3 humpback whales. Behaviors observedSounding, blowing, rolling, breaching. This week we also had a humpback whale breach off of the bow of the boat! All whales headed North. Week 13: March 15 – March 21Total number of whales observed34 whales (includes 10 gray whales, 16 fin whales, and 6 humpback whales, and possibly 2 minke whales). Behaviors observedSounding, blowing, rolling, breaching. All gray whales observed this week were headed North and displayed typical migration behavior. However, we had many other visits from fin whales, humpback whales, and possibly minke whales. On one occasion this week, a potential baby fin whale was spotted with its mother. Guests also had the opportunity to see a breaching humpback whale! There were a few days of dense fog which limited our ability to get out of the harbor, but overall it was a very busy week of whale watching! In addition, there were continued observations of the juvenile gray whale in the San Diego Bay. We are crossing our fingers that it will head North soon. Week 14 & 15: March 22 – March 31Total number of whales observed35 whales (includes 16 gray whales, 13 fin whales, 4 humpback whales, and 2 minke whales). Behaviors ObservedThe last week and a half of our season was an extremely busy one! Not only did we see the gray whales making their typical migration back North, but we also spotted them rolling and breaching! On multiple occasions, fin whales were observed feeding close to the boat and a humpback whale breached 10 feet off of the bow! Another humpback whale allowed for a close-up look as it nuzzled up to the side of the boat. On the last day of the season, on the very last tour, and as the boat was making its way into the harbor, we saw our first northbound mother and calf pair of the season! In the next few weeks many more mothers and calves will follow the adults and juveniles North to the feeding grounds of the Bering and Chukchi Seas. There they will spend their summer putting on weight in preparation for next year’s migration. Visit our Flickr Page for more photos.
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