Gray DC Bureau. Gray whales migrate thousands of miles from Baja to their feeding grounds in Alaska each year! “If we can access a dead whale in time, we can look for evidence of disease, viruses, malnutrition, or human causes such as collisions with ships,” he says. Some researchers speculate that this year’s mortalities simply reflect the population has outpaced its Arctic food supply, leaving some whales without the reserves needed to return to Alaska. Gray Whales are another gentle giant among the species. by Susanne Rust and Rosanna Xia . An initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity. Weller says many of the whales show signs of malnourishment. See beautiful Resurrection Bay in the spring, as well as additional wildlife viewing and opportunities to view Bear Glacier in the distance. It is here that they begin and end the longest migration of any mammal – 12,000 miles from the icy waters of the Arctic to the warm lagoons of Baja, Mexico, and back again. Most stayed just long enough to snap a few photos. Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) have one of the longest migrations of any mammal, spanning 5,000 miles between Mexico’s Baja Peninsula and northern Alaska. This led to a massive international effort, that included the Soviet Union, to create a path for them to safety. In fact, the gray whale migration runs all the way up from Mexico to Alaskan waters, a journey of over 10,000 miles. Adding to questions about food web conditions in the Arctic, scores of dead ice seals have washed ashore in recent weeks in northern and western Alaska. This study also helped us understand that many whales we see in SE Alaska and Northern B.C. Most years the annual gray whale migration along North America’s West Coast is a sure sign of spring. Since January at least 167 dead whales have washed ashore from Mexico to Alaska. The peak of the migration South to Baja California is in January. While some gray whale begin their migration from Alaskan waters in October and others don't return to Alaska from Baja California until June, here at Point Reyes National Seashore, the peak of the southern migration usually occurs in mid-January and that of the northern migration in mid-March. Published: Nov. 11, 2020 at 7:42 PM AKST. Here, migratory humpback whales spend their summers feeding, and groups of whales work together to spin a "net" of bubbles around schools of small fish, then lunge to the surface simultaneously in a breathtaking display. The gray whale migration takes two to three months, and they swim between 5,000-6,800 miles! It reaches a length of 14.9 meters (49 ft), a weight of up to 41 tonnes (90,000 lb) and lives between 55 and 70 years, although one female was estimated to be 75–80 years of age. They birth their calves in the protected lagoons outside of Baja, Mexico, and spend the winter in warmer water with their babies, before it's time to head north again. It’s not just the dead. And we’re probably not done yet. Mom and baby gray whales swim past Salt Creek Beach during a recent migration between Alaska and Mexico. He has worked on public lands for much of the past three decades, both as a guide and for land-management agencies, and is a founding member of the, one of the longest migrations of any mammal, unusually high mortality among fin and humpback whales, Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation. MONTEREY — This time of year, gray whales are making their annual southern migration from Alaska and are cruising through Monterey Bay on their arduous journey to … There are plenty of organized tours from Ketchikan, Sitka, Kodiak, or Seward. Many brought their children. Are on the season, they can be seen in Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay, Bering. And opportunities to view Bear Glacier in the Northern Arctic waters also hunters... Each sample is a sure sign of spring between 2015 and 2016 more information the... 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