BajaNomad

Whale watching season starting earlier this year

manovas - 11-28-2017 at 05:51 PM

I just finished an article talking about whale watching season in Baja. Warmer ocean temperatures have attracted whales earlier this season (probably because of la nina phenomenon) :o

http://bajascape.com/blog/whale-watching-season/

shari - 11-28-2017 at 06:28 PM

I believe Gray whales head south earlier if there is cold weather up north as they must leave Alaska so as not to get caught in the ice.
We have already seen some grays passing our place here and there was one spotted in Laguna Ojo de Liebre already too....never seen them in November before!
Our water temps here in central baja have been cooler than El Nino years.
Other whales follow the food....we have langostina around now so have seen humpbacks & fin whales in the area chowing down on them.

manovas - 11-30-2017 at 04:07 PM

thanks for the helpful info shari. I've also seen some whales in Rosarito going south. Yes hotter waters have more plankton and krill that why theres an abundance of dolphins and others too.

bajabuddha - 11-30-2017 at 05:08 PM

a La Nina year is COOLER waters at the equatorial currents. El Nino is warmer. This is a La Nina year; the northern part of the U.S. will be colder and wetter, the southwest warmer and dryer. What it all boils down to (pun intended) is, as a quote from an esteemed geologist friend o'mine, "Earth Happens". There will be changes when temps vary from the ''norms'', whatever they are. Gitcha popcorn out and watch the show.... change is the constant.

Howard - 11-30-2017 at 05:55 PM

Last Monday we saw 3 whales heading south in front of La Bufadora, which I presume were California Grays.

shari - 12-1-2017 at 08:18 AM

Many reports now of southbound Gray Whale...who dont eat plankton and mostly fast while they are in Baja.
This is the earliest migration I have heard of!

David K - 12-1-2017 at 08:53 AM

It is December 1... I thought typical whale season is December to April?

shari - 12-1-2017 at 11:15 AM

We have been seeing a few Gray Whales here for the last 2 weeks which is very early. Usually we dont start seeing them till late in December and the first whales dont show up in the lagoon till then either...there has been a whale in the lagoon for a couple weeks now and there are reports from southern California of seeing whales migrating early there too.
In the lagoon most companies dont start operating until January although the park is supposed to open dec.15

Udo - 12-1-2017 at 01:05 PM

We need a "LIKE" button here!
Quote: Originally posted by shari  
I believe Gray whales head south earlier if there is cold weather up north as they must leave Alaska so as not to get caught in the ice.
We have already seen some grays passing our place here and there was one spotted in Laguna Ojo de Liebre already too....never seen them in November before!
Our water temps here in central baja have been cooler than El Nino years.
Other whales follow the food....we have langostina around now so have seen humpbacks & fin whales in the area chowing down on them.