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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Gray Whale Diaries
Whale season has opened here in baja! Many of you are interested in gray whales so this year I will be doing weekly updates on gray whale
activities...describing what kind of behavior you would see during each week. I hope you like these unique insights as to what goes on in the lagoons.
I will post these weekly diaries in our website www.bahiaasuncion.com in the page of What's up in Asuncon this week...found in the left hand column or pages. Would you like me to post them here
too? Here is the first one...feedback and questions welcome.
GRAY WHALE DIARIES
For over 20 years I have had the honour of observing gray whales in their natural habitat and have learned some interesting things about these noble
creatures. So it is with great pride that I share these unique insights and stories with you. Each week, I will describe a little of what is going on
in the Gray whale population...where they are & what they are doing with photos examples to help describe their behavior. I hope you enjoy this
journey with the Grays.
DEC.15 is the official start of whale season in Laguna Ojo de Liebre (Scammons Lagoon) by Guerrero Negro. This National Park is in the Vizcaino
Biosphere Reserve (the largest reserve in Latin America) and was the world’s first gray whale sanctuary established in 1973 in response to a ban on
commercial whaling. This lagoon is the world’s largest calving lagoon where over half the gray whale population is born. This is also the most
northerly calving lagoon and the first to fill up with pregnant females in early January. Any day now we should be seeing the first whales arriving.
Each year varies as to when the whales start arriving as it depends on the weather in the northern feeding grounds. If the ice pack forms early, the
whales head south earlier and if there is an Indian summer, the whales stay longer up north feeding. But the pregnant females hurry down so they can
have their calves in the warm protected lagoons. The whales travel about 5 knots and stretch out in a long parade from Alaska to Baja (the longest
migration of any marine mammal)
Calving and mating takes place at the same time...so the females who aren’t pregnant are being courted by the males all the way down during the
migration.
Sometimes you will see 2 males flanking a female, both vying for her attention. One distinctive behavior we see at this time is what I call Tail
Lifting or Not Now Honey, I Have a Headache! This occurs when the female is being bothered by the males and she is not ready to mate. She actually
comes out of the water backwards, tail first lifting her genitals clear out of the water so the male cant get to them. It is quite a sight!
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Here is another photo of "Guys...read my tail...I'm NOT in the mood!"
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Santiago
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Shari: do all the females eventually come into esterous (sp) and the males hang around knowing this will happen or do only some females mate each
year. I thought I heard that the females either gave birth or mated each year - is this true? Aren't there sometimes nurse or sister females along
with the mothers/babies in the lagoon nursery areas. Would these be females too young to mate? Does mating take place at the mouth of the lagoon or
even in the open sea? I have been to San Ignacio once, in February, but did not see any mating behavior that I could recognize.
Thanks
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shari
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Posts: 13048
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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All good questions..so this point about females mating each year was the case when grays were near extinction...they HAD to get their numbers up to
survive however animals are intelligent and now that they have recovered, birth rates have slowed down...it's that natural way they have of keeping
things in balance...only reproduce if food is available...so...females become sexually mature at around 6-8 years old..the "nurse" whales that we see
accompanying the pregnant females can be either too old or too young to reproduce or who knows, maybe they are practised midwives! But early in
January we often see these pairs of whales...they are very friendly in the days before they drop their calves. Mating can take place anywhere the
female wants...but only when she is ready to conceive...she knows it and only then allows the males to do the deed...they don't appear to have any
attachment to the father...just slam bam thank you man...and off the males go to smoke cigarettes and brag down around Cabo. Mating takes place over
several months dec-march and the gestation period is 12-13 months. You can easily tell when they are mating as there is ALOT of splashing, high tails,
rolling around etc. and sometimes the pink floyd appears. It is not a good idea to approach mating whales as they are totally oblivious to boats
around them and could easily smash your boat in the heat of the moment!
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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a pregnant whale and her midwife
Tlhis is a good example of these pairs of whales hanging out together before the birth...they don't have anything else to do so often hang around the
pangas and each of them want attention...they take turns getting pats and rubs and sometimes push each other out of the way!
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dccf
Junior Nomad
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Registered: 10-20-2007
Location: S. Cal
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Very interesting Shari, keep it comin'.
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jorgie
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Gray Whales Diary, is there a chance that you will one day publish your studies ? There is a book in there, probably two or three as the science could
morf into a love story......I can think of at least one......
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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I published the Gray Whale Handbook many years ago and now I finally have the manuscript of my second bood..."Extroardinary Tales of Humans &
Whales" ready to publish...one day. The Handbook is available for $5 here. Maybe I should sell it in the Nomad Store!
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wilderone
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Contact Sunbelt Publications about your book - maybe easier than you think. I'd like an autographed handbook - one for the Baja library too!
Whale season "diary" is a wonderful thing - would be great historical record as well.
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jorgie
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reread this post.......Shari, ya need to do more on the Gray Whales. Most don't know of your ten years studying these wonderful children of
nature......
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
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Your experience with these wonderful animals is invaluable and you should definitely document your experiences and knowledge. We often do not think of
the historical context in which we live. I started visiting Mexico over forty years ago and was in places where traditional dress and customs still
were in practice. They no longer are and I was witness to the end of an era and did not realize it. Some of my old photographs for expample are
actually documentary evidence of a lost time. You really should publish, wilderone is spot on with this. I am now of the age to see my toys in museums
and have better photos than are hanging in some museums.
You have a very unique and important story to tell. I have heard some of it and know others too would and will be interested.
Iflyfish
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shari
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Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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thanks for that Ifly...diver arrived today and we are missing you...I would like to put together another Nomad whale trip the first week of march
sometime as we had so much fun last season!
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meme
Senior Nomad
Posts: 756
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: San Felipe,BC
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If you are doing a Whale Trip in March Shari can you count our group in?
Would sure be Great!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
All good questions..so this point about females mating each year was the case when grays were near extinction...they HAD to get their numbers up to
survive however animals are intelligent and now that they have recovered, birth rates have slowed down...it's that natural way they have of keeping
things in balance...only reproduce if food is available...so...females become sexually mature at around 6-8 years old..the "nurse" whales that we see
accompanying the pregnant females can be either too old or too young to reproduce or who knows, maybe they are practised midwives! But early in
January we often see these pairs of whales...they are very friendly in the days before they drop their calves. Mating can take place anywhere the
female wants...but only when she is ready to conceive...she knows it and only then allows the males to do the deed...they don't appear to have any
attachment to the father...just slam bam thank you man...and off the males go to smoke cigarettes and brag down around Cabo. Mating takes place over
several months dec-march and the gestation period is 12-13 months. You can easily tell when they are mating as there is ALOT of splashing, high tails,
rolling around etc. and sometimes the pink floyd appears. It is not a good idea to approach mating whales as they are totally oblivious to boats
around them and could easily smash your boat in the heat of the moment! |
Photos from Erle Stanley Gardner's 1960 'Hunting the Desert Whale' Perhaps the first photos of a male gray whale's "dork" in action??!!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
Contact Sunbelt Publications about your book - maybe easier than you think. I'd like an autographed handbook - one for the Baja library too!
Whale season "diary" is a wonderful thing - would be great historical record as well. |
I agree... if you need a name or contact there, I can provide!
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jorgie
Nomad
Posts: 430
Registered: 8-25-2006
Location: on another road,again
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Shari's ten year official study gives her a background not available to folks like me......it's an important part of any trip to watch the Gray Whales
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
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David, is that pic what I think it is? I would hate to be in a small boat and have that thing land in my lap!
Shari, I miss you guys too! Abrazos forte around for my Asuncion amigos and amigas!
Iflyfish
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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How about Sunday March 9th...both sirenita and I can go out...lets plan a trip! Maybe camp there saturday the 8th...who's in?
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jorgie
Nomad
Posts: 430
Registered: 8-25-2006
Location: on another road,again
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Mood: on the road....again,again
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how many pangas/folks will you be able to accomodate and could you do two or three days ??
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SiReNiTa
Special Correspondent
Posts: 881
Registered: 5-5-2006
Location: Ensenada, B.C.S.
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Mood: Savoring life while saving the world!
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o0o0h fun!! but i think i'm gonna work sunday morning...remeber i do the whale tours for the hotel on sunday??? i can go saturday for a while and then
drive back out sunday after our tour and meet you for lunch or something??
Live life as well as you can,
don\'t regret the things that once made you smile,
learn from your mistakes,
and thank God for every second he gives you upon this earth.
Visit me at
Http://BajaScents.Scentsy.com.mx
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