Graham - 1-23-2015 at 12:00 PM
With Baja's gray whale whale season well underway, a good book to enhance your lagoon visit is Lagoon Time by Steven L. Swartz.
http://www.grahammackintosh.com/Pages/LagoonTimeReview.aspx
Even though ostensibly about Laguna San Ignacio, it contains fascinating information about gray whales in general and great photographs of birds and
other wildlife also found in Ojo de Liebre.
The discussion about population numbers and other changes, such as sightings of "California" gray whales in the Med and off the coast of South West
Africa is fascinating.
According to Swartz, after the estimated gray whale population reached 26,000 in the early 1990s and was taken off the Endangered Species List in
1994, "something unexpected happened" from 1998 through 2000 whales began to strand in unusually high numbers and a 2000 census suggested the
population had in fact been reduced by 20%.
Of course, this was likely associated with the great El Nino warm water event of 1997-8, the largest ever recorded.
I remember it well, I chose that winter to walk/swim my Baja burro 1000 miles from Tecate to Loreto. Rain, floods, lightning.
http://www.grahammackintosh.com/Pages/JourneyWithABajaBurro....
Anyway, it may be a totally different warm water event this year, with less of an effect on the food chain, but you have to wonder if the gray whale
population might be similarly stressed for the next few seasons, and possibly experience a die-off.
bajajudy - 1-23-2015 at 02:19 PM
If I am stepping on your toes please tell me, Graham,but I could not see any way to order this book from you. We do have it available here in our
store in San Jose, if anyone is interested. Very interesting book and a must for whale enthusiasts.
Graham - 1-23-2015 at 04:31 PM
Hi Judy, no problem. I just independently reviewed it because I thought it a fascinating and informative book. All whale watchers should be aware of
it. It will really enhance the experience. Hope you sell a bunch.
Graham - 1-24-2015 at 09:36 AM
Here's the cover....
