Captain's Blog

GRAY WHALE ALERT! NINE grays already spotted by our Gray Whale Census observers since 6am, in patchy fog! Our RECORD December count is now 340: 336 southbound, 4 northbound grays. We nearly always have a few northbounders in December, generally juveniles who may not migrate all the way south to the Baja Lagoons. Four grays out of a population of our 340 (and out of a population of 21,000) is a very small number; in our previous record December count (Dec 2011), we tallied 191 southbound and three northbound grays. We monitor them as they cross our field of view to make sure that they are not milling (circling) around; we often see extensive milling at our location, which is a landfall and resting/socializing area for many grays that are crossing the Santa Monica Bay.

And you might recognize a few of the authors!

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FIFTEEN More GRAY WHALES: lots of breaching and milling! ACS/LA Gray Whale Census Update, 28 DEC (Pt. Vicente): EIGHT BREACHES were right down in front of us, coming from groups of whales that were joining and then separating again. Another whale BREACHED twice, and was surrounded by COMMON DOLPHIN. Six breaches occurred more than four miles offshore and difficult to figure out which whale was breaching, as whales were switching places; one distant whale appeared to have a white belly and could have been a FIN WHALE, but could not be confirmed. Two sightings came close enough for us to hear their blows. We saw “rainblows” on two sightings, as the sun angle turned blows into rainbows. Three sightings milled. We lost one sighting into the sun line (while we were tracking three other sightings). Gray whales fluked on eleven of thirteen sightings. We also spotted FIN WHALES (on two occasions), COMMON DOLPHIN, and BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN. -Alisa
Please check out our counts for this record December: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm
Today: Southbound gray whales: 15
Northbound gray whales: 0
Total gray whales: 15
RECORD* Season to Date (1-28 Dec)
Southbound ——— 263
Northbound ———- 3
Total —————– 266
Cow/calves South —- 2

NINETEEN GRAYS: BREAKS 30-YEAR DECEMBER RECORD! ACS/LA Gray Whale Census Update, 25 DEC (Pt. Vicente):Sighting conditions were ideal again with great visibility; a good thing, since two sightings never approached within three miles offshore. One GRAY WHALE foursome was moving very fast when we first saw them; they milled and we lost track of them in the haze, but they showed up again later. Grays in one sighting separated; then the lead whale turned around and reconnected with the other whale. One gray fluked frequently (after nearly every blow), and another whale raised its head high up into the air. On two occasions, small boats interfered with the gray whales: one was bothered by two jet skiers, while the other reacted to a sailboat that passed it very closely by rolling and surfacing further offshore and behind the boat. Gray whales in all twelve sightings fluked. We also tracked at least two FIN WHALES; lots of heat waves on the ocean’s surface made it difficult to positively identify these whales. We also watched spotted COMMON DOLPHIN everywhere throughout the day, with lots of large groups moving back and forth; at one point we could actually see their blows! We also tracked nearshore BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN. -Alisa
Please check out our counts: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm
Today: Southbound gray whales: 19
Northbound gray whales: 0
Total gray whales: 19
Running Totals: 208 southbound (including 1 calf), 2 northbound!

FOURTEEN GRAYS: Thirteen southbound, one northbound! ACS/LA Gray Whale Census Update, 22 DEC (Pt. Vicente): Two GRAY WHALE sightings came in so close that we heard their blows. We tracked six of the ten sightings for over an hour each. Two single grays headed right to each other, joined, and then milled. We watched another pair of gray whales for two hours; they came in extremely close to us and swam in a circle. One of these whales was VERY broad (likely pregnant); she lifted her head high many times, did a classic spyhop, rolled, and swam on her back for a while – displaying her lower jaw, pectoral flipper, and half of her fluke. Her companion was also quite “girthy”, possibly pregnant. Gray whales in all sightings fluked. We also spotted COMMON DOLPHIN, BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN, and RISSO’S DOLPHIN; one pod of common dolphin were very spread out, and kept changing their travel direction. -Alisa
Today: Southbound gray whales: 13
Northbound gray whales: 1
Total gray whales: 14
Please check out our counts: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm

FOURTEEN MORE GRAYS: 100 southbound so far! ACS/LA GRAY WHALE CENSUS UPDATE: 17 DEC (Pt. Vicente). A pod of five GRAY WHALES, including some large adults, came in so close to shore that we heard their blows. A single gray whale was swimming about a mile offshore when it suddenly turned and headed offshore to about a mile and a half away (possibly reacr=ting to a pod of Risso’s dolphin). We heard blows on two of seven sightings, and saw flukes during five sightings. Scattered RISSO’S DOLPHIN passed through our field of view during most of the day, coming in to just above “Whale Rock” – where they spent some time breaching. Large numbers of COMMON DOLPHIN came by us; at one point two groups swam toward each other, joined, and then headed west. We also spotted a large pod of offshore BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN.
NOTE FROM ALISA: This is only the sixth time in 30 years (and the third year in a row) that our December count will have exceeded 100 southbound gray whales!
Check out our counts and summaries: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm
Today: Southbound gray whales: 14
Northbound gray whales: 0
Total gray whales: 14

FOURTEEN MORE GRAY WHALES! ACS/LA GRAY WHALE CENSUS UPDATE: 15 DEC (PVIC). Our first two GRAY WHALE sightings (a pair and a trio) traveled very close together. One gray raised its head high; a sea lion porpoised with this sighting. Another gray blew multiple times; then we lost it until it was nearly out of sight. We watched one gray trio for two hours. BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN accompanied a pair of gray whales. FIN WHALES foraged through our area: one pair and one single fin whale. We also spotted COMMON DOLPHIN. Our day ended with a spectacular sunset. NOTE FROM ALISA: Today’s count puts us at SEVENTY-FIVE southbound grays; our previous high count to date (1-15 December, over 30 seasons) was THIRTY-SIX grays, two years ago! This season is most likely an early southbound migration season – or more grays than usual may be using an inshore route; we will know more as the season progresses! -Alisa
Please check out our daily counts: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm
Today: Southbound gray whales: 14
Northbound gray whales: 0
Total gray whales: 14

GRAY WHALE CENSUS UPDATE: 13 DEC (PVIC). NINE GRAY WHALES TODAY! Six adult gray whales paraded by us within a two hour time span; at one point we had five gray whales in sight! Most passed within a half mile of us; we could hear the blows on four sightings. It was challenging to track them because some whales swam faster and passed up the earlier sightings; then two sightings joined up and continued swimming together. Whales in six of our nine sightings fluked. We also spotted COMMON DOLPHIN and BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN. Check out our daily counts: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm
Today: Southbound gray whales: 9
Northbound gray whales: 0
Total gray whales: 9

ACS/LA GRAY WHALE CENSUS UPDATE: 12 DEC (PVIC). SIX GRAY WHALES: BIG POD! We watched this group of large adults for two hours! They came close to shore and fluked frequently; one even BREACHED! They rolled, swam in a zig-zag pattern, milled in a tight group near our transect, and crossed the transect twice. A whalewatch boat got on this sighting; they made the local KTLA news! Three FIN WHALES foraged out toward the Redondo Canyon. A MINKE WHALE swam away from where the FIN WHALES were foraging. We also spotted three pods of COMMON DOLPHIN. Our day ended with a green flash. -Alisa
Check out our daily counts: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm
Today: Southbound gray whales: 6
Northbound gray whales: 0
Total gray whales: 6.

FORTY GRAY WHALES TODAY: sighted off Carmel Highlands/Monterey today, heading south!