Census

25 February 2024 gray whale survey count in Laguna San Ignacio, as reported by Dr Steven Swartz

• 8 mother/calf pairs and 192 singles for a total of 208 whales

Photo thanks to Tabata O.

Dr Steven Swartz reported (via Alisa Schulman-Janiger, the ACS Census Director) the following estimated numbers of gray whales during a 13 February 2024 count:

• 4 mother/calf pair and 115 singles for a total of 123 whales

Our drone photo is thanks to @GabeBergerhouse! Gray whale mother and calf travelling past Southern California.

Researchers in Laguna San Ignacio (REBIVI*) reported the following estimated numbers of gray whales during their 7 February 2024 count:

• 12 mother/calf pair and 59 singles for a total of 83 whales

Our drone photo is thanks to @GabeBergerhouse! Gray whale mother and calf travelling past Southern California.

* REBIVI: Staff from Biosphere Reserve of El Vizcaino which contains Laguna San Ignacio in a protected region of Mexico.

Researchers in Laguna San Ignacio (REBIVI*) reported the following estimated numbers of gray whales during their 2 February 2024 count:

• 9 mother/calf pair and 30 singles for a total of 48 whales

Our drone photo is thanks to @GabeBergerhouse! Gray whale mother and calf travelling past Southern California.

* REBIVI: Staff from Biosphere Reserve of El Vizcaino which contains Laguna San Ignacio in a protected region of Mexico.

Researchers in Laguna San Ignacio (UABCS) reported the following estimated numbers of gray whales during their 26January 2024 count:

• 10 mother/calf pair and 11 singles for a total of 31 whales

Our drone photo is thanks to @GabeBergerhouse! Gray whale mother and calf travelling past Southern California.

Census workers in Point Fermin, near Los Angeles, CA, reported their highest gray whale count for 2024 on 18 January. They tracked 16 southbound gray whales, including 6 newborn calves on 18 January.

Census director, Alisa Schulman-Janiger, took this photo of one of the mother and calf pairs as they migrated past the census station. She reported that the calf lifted its head above the water a few times, so that the “fetal folds” showed. These are the skin folds from being in utero that can remain on a newborn even after birth.

Researchers in Laguna San Ignacio (REBIVI) reported the following estimated numbers of gray whales during their 18 January 2024 count:

• 1 mother/calf pair and 5 singles for a total of 7 whales

Researchers in Laguna San Ignacio (UABCS) reported the following estimated numbers of gray whales during their 26 March 2023 count:

• 32 mother/calf pairs and 8 singles for a total of 72 whales

Researchers in Laguna San Ignacio (UABCS) reported the following estimated numbers of gray whales during their 19 March 2023 count:

• 37 mother/calf pairs and 40 singles for a total of 114 whales

Researchers in Laguna San Ignacio (UABCS) reported the following estimated numbers of gray whales during their 13 March 2023 count:

• 20 mother/calf pairs and 100 singles for a total of 140 whales

Researchers in Laguna San Ignacio (UABCS) reported the following estimated numbers of gray whales during their 6 March 2023 count:

• 15 mother/calf pairs and 194 singles for a total of 224 whales