Newborn Gray Whale Calf Spotted near Moss Landing

    On January 16th, 2012 our crew aboard High Spirits was three miles outside Moss Landing when Captain Jim spotted a blow. We were a little surprised since most gray whales that pass through the Monterey Bay choose to cut from point to point, taking the shortcut rather than following the coast and venturing inside the bay. But few do, and most we find inside the bay don't surface as much as the ones who take the short cut and linger near Point Pinos. Being just three miles outside Moss Landing meant we were well inside the bay and quite close to shore.

Mother Gray Whale. Photo by Kate Cummings.

       We approached slowly and stayed further away than usual to make sure we didn't disturb the lone traveler. The whale surfaced often, hardly showing her back, and never dove. We could follow her foot prints (the calm circles created on the surface of the water created by the upward stroke from a whale's flukes) one after another as she steadily headed closer to the beach. When she was below the surface, we noticed what we thought was a sea lion tagging along with her. We took pictures with our telephoto lens' and zoomed in on the image. Then it was clear: this whale had a newborn calf!

Newborn Gray Whale Calf. Photo by Kate Cummings.

      Our pictures revealed that the calf might have been just hours old being so tiny and having fetal folds so apparent on it's little body. Once we realize how delicate the situation had become, we maintained our distance and sat in idle as the two continued to the beach.

      Most calves are born once the pregnant mothers reach the nursery lagoons in Baja California, Mexico. However, some calves are born prematurely along the migration south. The two appeared healthy and spunky when we bid them farewell and gently left the area. It was an encounter we'll never forget.

Hybrid Dolphin in the Making?

On May 7th, 2011 we witnessed some very interesting dolphin behavior. We were out on a skunk trip (no whales in sight) and the seas started turning ugly. When we were a couple miles outside of Moss Landing, we spotted a pod of about 75 dolphins-- a mix between mostly Risso's dolphins and only a few Pacific white-sided dolphins. The pod was quite active, approaching the boat and surfing in the breaking swells all around. We kept noticing a white-sided chasing a Risso, and when they sidled up next to the boat, we could see they were mating!

Pacific white-sided dolphin and Risso's dolphin mating. Photo by Kate Cummings

These shots show a Pacific white-sided dolphin belly to belly with a Risso's dolphin. They're size difference is obvious-- with the white-sided being around 7-8 feet long and the Risso about 10-12.

Pacific white-sided dolphin and Risso's dolphin mating. Photo by Kate Cummings.

There are known hybrids between Risso's dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, but I've searched the web and have asked a few researchers but haven't found anything on a hybrid white-sided/Risso. Dolphins are extremely social and will often use sex to bond with one another, not just to reproduce. In any case, we'll be keeping our eyes out for a Pacific Risso-Sided Dolphin!

Monterey Bay's got the Blues

 

 

 

 

Blue Whale in Monterey Bay- Photo by Erin Cummings

This photo was taken on April 30th! There were around 4-5 giant blue whales in the bay that day which was a delightful surprise to all who got to see them. We set out on our whale watching cruise expecting to see the major contenders for early spring: humpbacks, grays, or killer whales. The tall blow of the blue whale was unmistakable, and we alerted our passengers on board that they were about to witness something they might never get the chance to see again.

Blue whales are most frequently sighted in our area in mid-summer through the fall when krill, a small shrimp-like crustacean, is found in huge swarms. Upwelling processes occur after strong winds push surface water offshore and bring nutrients from the deep to the surface-- this supplies a base for incredible krill numbers. Blues came to the bay in 2010 in numbers that hadn't been rivaled since 2003. Could this early sighting of blue whales in the bay be a sign that this year will be as incredible as the last? Or did the blues stop by for a quick snack and then move on? We'll all have to wait and see!

Killer Whales: Bullies of the Monterey Bay

On April 10th 2011 we observed about 9 killer whales in scattered pods on a gorgeous day in the Monterey Bay. Nearby, there was a lone gray whale that quickly became targeted by a few of the killer whales. The gray whale turned belly-up (to protect it's vulnerable organs) and was eventually left alone. He appeared injured, as he swam slowly in circles taking shallow breaths. Here's a picture of a killer whale beside the unfortunate gray.

Killer Whale and Gray Whale-- Photo by Kate Cummings

Below is a picture of the gray whale after the orcas had gone. Looks like there's a depression on it's left side behind the blowholes. Sometimes when orcas attack or harass gray whales, you won't see any blood as most of the damage is internal.

Bewildered Gray Whale-- Photo by Kate Cummings

Killer whales are efficient hunters and will typically target gray whale mothers and their calves. They divide and conquer-- separating the mother from the calf and attempt to drown the calf. Today, it looked like the killer whales were either teaching the young ones how to attack whales, or they were just being bullies!

Early Birds: Black-footed Albatross

Black-footed Albatross-- Photo by Tony Thomas

This photo was taken by one of our volunteers, Tony Thomas on a whale watching trip we had on Friday, April 1st. While we were out observing gray whales, we saw a couple of black-footed albatross flying near by and around the boat; but as we were heading in to Moss Landing, we came across the largest gathering of them we have ever seen. It's more common to see albatross in the bay July-October since most stay by their breeding grounds in Hawaii November-June. If you're seeing black-footed albatross in April, it means that those individuals are most likely non-breeders or failed breeders, i.e. they don't have chicks to care for and are free to head out to sea and feed.

Pregnant Harbor Seal in Point Lobos

Pregnant Harbor Seal in Point Lobos-- Photo by Kate Cummings

In the Monterey Bay Area, harbor seals have their pups in April and May. Here is a very pregnant female resting on a beach in Point Lobos State Reserve. I highly recommend taking a hike through the reserve-- it's easily one of the most beautiful places on earth.