I'm laughing at the fact that anyone would call the "gray" whale a "California Gray Whale" based on the fact it only swims by california when it's migrating to and from the arctic waters and the warm waters of Mexico.

Grey Whales
The basic migration pattern follows that of most baleen whales, ie between: winter breeding grounds in low latitude, warm waters and summer feeding areas in higher latitudes, cool waters
i) Western North Pacific This tiny, remnant population migrates north from winter calving grounds off the Korean Peninsula and Japan, to summer feeding grounds in the northern Okhotsk Sea.

ii) Eastern North Pacific gray whales make a mammoth 20,000 km (12,400 mile) round trip between their southern breeding grounds off Baja California, Mexico and their northern feeding grounds off Alaska and the Beaufort Sea.

April - November: Arctic feeding grounds
[October - February: migrates south]
December - April: Mexican breeding grounds
[February - July: migrates north]

In the early winter, they move south to breed in the warm, shallow lagoons along the Mexican coast. The most popular breeding lagoons are San Ignacio lagoon, Scammon's lagoon, and Magdalena Bay, on the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico. Around February, the grays migrate north to feed in Arctic waters (western Beaufort Sea and Bering Sea), northwest of Alaska. A few - mainly younger - whales make a shorter journey north from Mexico, stopping off along the coastline stretching between northern California, Oregon, Washington State, USA, and British Columbia, Canada. Some feeding behaviour has been observed in all parts of the range, and around Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, grays are present year-round.

 

No argument, but it's a common way to refer to the Eastern North Pacific herd. And, since they spend a significant amount of their lives at Baja California and then even more cruising past Baja California and the North American State of California, it seems to fit.

However, no matter what WE call them, THEY know who they are, and that's all that matters!

- Jack

 

Looks like a super neat trip Jack. Hope one day I get to do something like that. Thanks for sharin'.

 

I touched a whale and I liked it.......oh what that's not the song.

Looks like fun though. Never been out on the ocean before.

Good write up also Jack.

 

It was an incredible experience! I can't begin to describe the feeling I have when I realized that gray whale mother was deliberately keeping her calf near our boats, and, at times, was under the calf pushing it up (I could see her doing this) so the calf (or us) would get a better view.

She could have just as easily taken the 3-5 breaths they take while surfaced and then just dove and swam away from us (which is what most did). Instead, she brought her calf over to see us (from a distance of 50 -100 feet away) and it was almost like having a "puppy dog" visiting.

There are very few wild animals that will trust you with their babies, and some that get downright agitated if you come in the vicinity. None of the mother-baby pairs we saw seemed the least bit threatened, but some were more interested than others.

- Jack

 

Thank you Jack for sharing your wonderful trip with everyone.
I to was speechless when I saw those marvelous creatures.
I have never seen them with their young. So you have one up on me there.
Maybe one day I'll be able to make the journey down there to see that for myself.
Glad you are back!

 

My whale eats tacos.

 

Very cool!

 

Very nice. Looks like a fun trip. I love that kind of stuff.