Outdoors, action and adventure

Gray whale northbound migration begins, will peak in March

As the southbound gray whale migration past Southern California wanes to just a few mammals, the northbound migration is becoming increasingly apparent.

Mid-February is the turn-around period, according to researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger, and the small number of northbound whales now being spotted probably were among the first to have reached Baja California lagoons earlier this year.

The lagoons serve as mating and nursing areas for about 20,000 Pacific gray whales.

The northbound migration toward Arctic home waters will peak off Southern California in mid- to late March.

For this reason, the Orange and Los Angeles County chapters of the American Cetacean Society have timed their annual all-day whale-watching adventures for March 18 (Sunday), and March 24 (Saturday), respectively.

The ASC-OC trip aboard the Catalina Flyer includes a voyage around Santa Catalina Island. It'll depart at 9 a.m. from 400 Main St., in Newport Beach, and return at 6 p.m. Cost is $60 for members and seniors, $75 for non-members, and $35 for children 10 and younger. Reservations can be made by calling (714) 375-1192.

The ACS-LA's 33rd annual "Ultimate Whale Watch" will be aboard the Monte Carlo out of 22nd Street Landing in San Pedro. The trip runs from 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m. and passengers will cross the channel and explore waters off the west end of Catalina.

Cost for the "Ultimate Whale Watch" is $61 for members and $71 for non-members, with a $5 discount for those who sign up before Friday. Additionally, passengers who present a ticket stub from the gray whale movie "Big Miracle," will receive a $5 rebate at the boat. Reservations can be made via the Internet or by calling (424) 266-0516.

Trained naturalists will be aboard both vessels.

While there are no guarantees, these fund-raising excursions are famous for producing memorable sightings of gray whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions and sea birds.

Pacific gray whales, whose 10,000-mile round-trip migration may be the longest of any mammal, will be journeying to feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi seas. Some will be calves, traveling with their mothers, making the northbound trip for the first time.

-- Pete Thomas

-- Image showing a a northbound gray whale off the backside of Catalina was captured  during a previous "Ultimate Whale Watch" expedition. Credit: ©Pete Thomas

Whales lift dolphins from water in rare playful display (video)

Interaction between marine mammal species is not uncommon. Sea lions will mingle with pods of feeding dolphins and sea lions and dolphins occasionally swim alongside whales.

But the type of playful behavior exhibited in the accompanying video -- bottlenose dolphins receiving rides atop humpback whales in Hawaiian waters -- is exceptionally rare.

As mentioned in a recent post for GrindTv, the photographs used to produce the video are the first recorded examples of these incredible events. One occurred off Maui and the other off Kauai.

The video was posted recently to the American Museum of Natural History website as part of its Science Bulletins program.

"The two species seemed to cooperate in the activity, and neither displayed signs of aggression or distress," the website explained. "Whales and dolphins in Hawaiian waters often interact, but playful social activity such as this is extremely rare between species."

The Kauai encounter featured one documented event. During the Maui encounter, scientists watched a humpback whale and bottlenose dolphin performing this ride-and-slide episode six times, with the dolphin gliding gently off the whale each time.

It remains unclear whether this is pure play or which species gets the most enjoyment from the interaction, but for marine mammal enthusiasts it's sure fun to watch.

-- Pete Thomas

New Zealand diver plunges in to rescue entangled orca (video)

A New Zealand orca that had become entangled in the rope of a crayfish pot was saved Tuesday by a diver who jumped in with a knife and cut the mammal loose.

 The incident occurred a few hundred yards off the Coromandel Peninsula.

The orca, whose tail had become ensnared by the rope, had been crying out to nearby family members.  But Rhys Cochrane, a veteran diver, managed to cut the rope and allow the orca to rejoin its companions.

"He didn't seem to mind or maybe even knew that I was trying to help him," Cochrane told 3 News.

The accompanying video is from Good Morning America. The 3 News report, which does not offer an embed code, contains more footage and detail (click on the 3 News link to watch).

Said Cochrane: "The whole time he was calling; I could hear vivid calls from the orca and just at the end there were five or six orcas including the bull."

Tagged gray whale from Russia stops short of Cabo San Lucas

For a while it seemed as though the remarkable odyssey of a tagged whale from Russia would include a visit to waters off Cabo San Lucas on Baja California's tip.

But Varvara, a Western Pacific gray whale whose cross-ocean journey began at Sakhalin Island off Russia's eastern shore, appears to have stopped short of Land's End by about 60 miles, before turning back to the north.

Her position as of Monday, according to an update issued by Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute, was at the northern end of Magdalena Bay (see graphic).

Magdalena Bay is one of a handful of bays or lagoons utilized by about 20,000 Eastern Pacific gray whales for nursing and mating, after a long migration from Arctic feeding waters.

Varvara's journey is the longest and most significant of any tagged whale from the critically endangered Western Pacific gray whale population, because it provides more evidence that at least some of those 130 or so whales are also migrating to Baja California lagoons.

Varvara's trip follows that a year earlier of Flex, a male Western Pacific gray whale who surprised scientists when he crossed the Bering Sea and joined with Eastern Pacific grays during their southbound migration. The tag worn by Flex, however, stopped transmitting off southern Oregon.

Last summer, scientists David Weller and Amanda Bradford presented a paper showing that four Western Pacific gray whales, cataloged as part of a photo-identification study, had turned up in Baja's renowned San Ignacio Lagoon.

Despite this mixing, the Western Pacific population is considered genetically distinct.

-- Pete Thomas

Note from the Marine Mammal Institute: "This research was conducted by A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) and Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute in collaboration with the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Kronotsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve and the Kamchatka Branch of the Pacific Institute of Geography. The research was contracted through the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with funding from Exxon Neftegas Ltd. and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd."

Wyland part of unique art contest for young whale watchers

Renowned marine life artist Wyland has partnered with Dana Wharf Whale Watching in a program designed to inspire both creativity among children, and a fondness for the ocean and its creatures. The three-hour Whale and Dolphin Adventures will be conducted Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., through February.

They begin with dockside presentations and art lessons, from Wyland via video feed, and are followed by 2.5-hour excursions aboard the landing's Ocean Adventures catamaran.

Children are then encouraged to create a drawing based on their experiences. Those will be judged by Wyland, with the winner earning a private family charter with the marine artist, valued at $2,000.

Other prizes include $50 gift cards to the Wyland Gallery gift shop in nearby Laguna Beach, and tickets for whale-watching excursions.

Cost is $59 for adults and $44 for kids 14 and younger ( a portion will be donated back to the Wyland Foundation).

In an age where fewer children are enjoying outdoor activities, this seems like an outstanding diversion from the world of computerized technology.

There's nothing like an enormous whale, leaping dolphins, or sea lions lounging atop the surface to show a kid that nature is as cool or cooler than anything a hand-held computer may conjure—and who knows, this program just might produce another Wyland.

Offshore killer whales make rare appearance off Southland

As the southbound parade of gray whales continues off Southern California, killer whales keep stealing the limelight. About 40 "offshore" killer whales were seen Thursday off Orange County and, later in the day, beyond the Long Beach area.

This comes after several sightings earlier this month of a pod of 10 "transient" killer whales. Offshore killer whales, unlike transients, do not prey on sea lions and other marine mammals. They eat sharks and fish.

Offshore killer whales, or orcas, are most commonly seen in the Queen Charlotte Islands area off British Columbia, but they tend to disappear for long periods. They are rarely seen off California, and more rarely spotted off Southern California.

Killer whale researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger recalled sightings of much larger pods of offshore orcas on Feb. 11, 1995, and on Feb. 14, 2005.

There are believed to be between 300-400 offshore killer whales along the West Coast.

The accompanying video, with footage captured Thursday, is courtesy of Capt. Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari. Note the upside-down orca at the beginning of the clip, and amazing underwater footage captured from within a small viewing pod that enables passengers to see how marine mammals act beneath the surface.

Boaters on watch for tagged gray whale from Russia

Southern California marine mammal enthusiasts should note that a special whale named Varvara will be passing through local waters today and Friday.

The 8-year-old female gray whale, sporting a satellite tag that reveals her position, is special because she has swum all the way from Sakhalin Island in the western North Pacific off Russia, providing scientists with more evidence that Western Pacific gray whales may not be as distinct from Eastern Pacific gray whales as previously believed.

Varvara hails from a critically endangered population of perhaps 130 Western Pacific gray whales, with very few breeding-age females. There are about 20,000 Eastern Pacific gray whales, famous for their annual 10,000-mile round-trip migration from the Bering and Beaufort seas to and from winter breeding areas in lagoons along the Baja California coastline.

It has become increasingly evident that both populations utilize the same breeding areas. However, David Weller, a marine mammal specialist with the National Marine Fisheries Service, has authored a manuscript (under peer-review) which states that despite this mixing, "Significant DNA and nuclear genetic differences between whales utilizing the Sakhalin feeding ground and those summering in the Eastern North Pacific support the continued recognition of Sakhalin animals as a distinct genetic unit."

Varvara is expected to pass through the Los Angeles/Long Beach area late today and pass Orange County and San Diego on Friday.

Her position is relayed to scientists at Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute. (People can obtain weekly updates of Varvara's progress, each Monday, via this link.)

Her odyssey follows that of Flex, who was fitted with a satellite tag a year earlier. Flex, a male Western Pacific gray whale, surprised scientists when he crossed from the western Pacific to this side, and joined with Eastern Pacific grays during their migration.

The tag worn by Flex, however, stopped transmitting off southern Oregon. Varvara's tag is still relaying her position. She has been photographed with other gray whales off Oregon and Northern California, but it was not clear whether they were Western Pacific or Eastern Pacific grays.

Southland orca show continues with harassment of gray whale

Killer whales have spent the first four days of 2012 off Southern California, to the delight of marine mammal enthusiasts but to the obvious dismay of sea lions and migrating gray whales.

They've been spotted either off Los Angeles or Orange County, and in many cases they were attacking or feeding on sea lions. 

On Wednesday five of these same orcas harassed a gray whale a half-mile off the Point Vicente Interpretive Center on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Volunteer spotters for the ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project watched in amazement from the center's patio, while boaters enjoyed a closer perspective.

Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who runs the project, said one adult and four younger killer whales were involved in what turned out to be a brief confrontation. The episode ended when the gray whale entered the kelp zone. The researcher said the whale was not injured.

After the incident, the five orcas joined the other five, and in early afternoon all 10 were off El Segundo, traveling toward the north, perhaps beginning a journey back to Central California.

Transient orcas are more commonly seen off Monterey, but in recent years some have shown more frequently off Southern California, presumably to take advantage of an abundance of sea lions, and lack of competition.

Above is an image showing orcas Tuesday off Dana Point. Credit: Drew Post/Dana Wharf Sportfishing. Below is a a video released Wednesday by Capt. Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari in Dana Wharf, showing an attack on a sea lion:

Orcas visit Orange County after two days off L.A. (video)

A pod of gregarious killer whales that spent part of Sunday and Monday thrilling whale-watchers off the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County, traveled to the south on Tuesday and put on a similar show for Orange County marine mammal enthusiasts (see video).

 

The pod consists of 10 transient killer whales belonging to two family groups. They prey on marine mammals and seem to be especially fond of California sea lions, which are thriving in Southland waters.

These orcas are most commonly seen off Monterey in Central California, but the CA51 group (seven whales), which often travels with one or two smaller family groups, has been visiting Southland waters more frequently during the past few years and may be establishing the region as home territory. One of their patterns has been to visit Orange County after L.A.

They appeared off the Dana Point area on Tuesday at about 1:30 p.m. Thanks to Drew Post and Dana Wharf Whale Watching for the incredible footage.

Are transient orcas expanding range into Southern California?

At least 10 killer whales were spotted late Sunday afternoon and again Monday off the Palos Verdes Peninsula, stealing the spotlight from migrating gray whales.

They're the same orcas that appeared in the same area on Dec. 10, and a day later off Newport Beach, and the increasing frequency of their visits suggests that transient killer whales are expanding their range into Southern California, possibly taking advantage of an exceedingly abundant sea lion population.

"There's no question that sightings are increasing," said Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who runs the California Killer Whale Project and catalogues individual orcas based on distinct markings. "Especially with the 51s. They seem to have become really fond of this area."

The killer whales spotted Sunday and Monday are from at least two family groups: the CA51s (seven whales) and CA 140s (three whales). These groups are most commonly seen off Monterey in Central California.

Transient killer whales prey largely on marine mammals, especially sea lions, whose population off California has been increasing since 1975. Transient orcas were first documented off Southern California in 1998.

Sightings were sporadic until recently. The CA51s, which often travel with one or two smaller family groups, have been documented in Southland waters at least a dozen times during the last two years.

They're famously boat-friendly, which makes for easy close encounters when they're around.

Interestingly, another marine mammal-eating group of killer whales, the L.A. Pod, shifted inexplicably from Southern California to Mexican waters in the 1990s.

It could be that over time, transient orcas began to feel more comfortable visiting the region. "The L.A. Pod was the only gang in town," Schulman-Janiger said. "If the L.A. Pod shifted to Baja, that could have left niche to be filled. It could be that this group [of transients] made a foray down here and found a lot of goodies. Most times they come down they're documented killing sea lions. "

On Sunday, Volunteers manning the Point Vicente Interpretive Center patio for the ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project witnessed the orcas breaching, spy-hopping and lob-tailing. Passengers aboard commercial whale-watching boats enjoyed much closer views, and in one case a baby orca seemed to have rubbed against the hull of a whale-watching boat.

Diane Alps, who was aboard the First String on Sunday, provided the accompanying image, showing a mother orca and her young calf.

Visibility on Monday morning was hampered by dense fog, but when the fog dissipated, there were the orcas, two miles offshore. It didn't take long before passengers aboard several boats were alongside them.

--Image is courtesy of Diane Alps

--Note: Schulman-Janiger would like to see fresh killer whale images and can be reached at Janiger@cox.net