Gray whale in San Diego Bay!

posted 4/20/2010

One year after Diego the whale became a media darling for nearly a month, a gray whale sparked interest Monday along the bayfront while “spyhopping” near Shelter and Harbor islands.

The whale spent the day cruising through northern San Diego Bay, breaking the surface to take a look around, or spyhop
Whales that hang out in bays and harbors typically are juveniles, said Joe Cordaro, a biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service in Long Beach.

“They are inquisitive and they just sort of search out nooks and crannies,” Cordaro said.

About 20,000 gray whales pass San Diego each year in late winter and spring as they swim between Baja California and Alaska, where they spend the summer before returning south for the calving season.

Virtually every year, one or two whales cause a stir in California beach towns by deciding to stay and snack on tiny crustaceans that live in the muck of bay bottoms.

“Usually, it’s just a few days, but it could be two to three weeks,” Cordaro said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/20/ocean-wanderer-pays-visit/