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Our ACS-LA Board posts current cetacean news on our Facebook page and the most recent articles can be found on this page. Keep up-to-date by coming back often! And if you are on Facebook, follow us!
American Cetacean Society - Los Angeles Chapter (ACS/LA)
Founded in 1967, the American Cetacean Society protects whales, dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats through public education, research grants, and conservation actions.
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Commemorating 40 Years, Gray Whale Census
On Dec. 1st, 2024, Alisa Schulman-Janiger was recognized for her 40 years of dedication as Director and Coordinator of ACS-LA’s Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project by the Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes, John Cruikshank. The ACS-LA Board was joined by Census citizen...
2025 Annual Summertime 8 hour whale watch on the Condor Express
Painted Cave, Santa Cruz Island
Photo credit: Patty Farrell
2024-2025 Gray Whale Census Summary
Gray Whale Census Team with our whiteboard displaying our final counts for this season. Clockwise, L to R: Joyce Daniels, Ben Tyrrell, Terri Bidle, Gerrie Teague Cole, Carla Krysiak, Iva Maes, Gregg Gentry, Stacey Patterson, Erlinda Cortez, Kim Hoch, Cynthia Woo, and...
2023-2024 Gray Whale Census Summary
Photo of Alisa Schulman-Janiger at our Gray Whale Census location on the bluffs behind the Palos Verdes Interpretive Center. Photo by Dave Janiger. ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project, 2023-2024 Update: we documented very low gray whale counts, few...
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A new abundance estimate of the gray whale population that migrates along the West Coast suggests their numbers have substantially increased since last year. Based on counts of southbound gray whale counts off Granite Canyon (central CA), researchers at NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center estimate that the Eastern North Pacific gray whale population is 15,930-20,530 (averaging about 17,750) gray whales. Last year’s estimate was one of the lowest since counting began in the late 1960s: 11,690-13,190 (or about 12,890) gray whales.
While the apparent increase is welcome news and similar to fluctuations seen in some previous years, it raises questions about:
1. Relationship between demographics and environmental variability
2. Whale migratory cadence and timing
3. Previous assumptions made about whale behavior used to calculate the abundance estimation
Many gray whales stranded along the West Coast this spring before reaching their Arctic feeding grounds near Alaska. Some stranded whales were skinny or emaciated, suggesting they are not finding sufficient food to sustain their round-trip migration between Alaska and Mexico.
Eastern North Pacific gray whales rebounded from lows during the commercial whaling era and were removed from the list of endangered species in 1994. Their numbers climbed to an estimated peak in 2015–2016 of 24,890-29,760 (averaging about 27,000) whales. However, a spike in strandings led NOAA Fisheries to declare an unusual mortality event (UME) in 2019. The agency closed the UME in 2023 as the cause became a persistent issue and strandings began to decline.
The number of strandings in the last two years have since climbed back into the general range recorded during the UME, when many stranded whales were similarly malnourished. Since factors driving these continued strandings remain largely the same, the strandings do not yet meet the criteria for a new UME.
More details here!
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/west-coast-gray-whale-estimate-shows-increase-new-count-dete... ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy World Orca Day! Time to celebrate and educate about different orca ecotypes found throughout the world. Today commemorates the release of northern resident A73 "Springer" back to the wild in British Columbia (2002); she has been resighted with her two offspring. Dr. Ingrid Visser, New Zealand cetologist (Orca Research Trust), established WORLD ORCA DAY at the World Whale Conference in 2013.
Adult female orca "Star" is the head matriarch of "The Friendly Pod": an extraordinary family of extremely curious and boat-friendly orcas who have been regularly encountered from Monterey Bay to Orange County, a few times off San Diego County, and a few times off British Columbia. They were seen just six days ago in Monterey Bay. Long may they thrive!
The 3rd edition of the California Killer Whale Project Field Guide just went live last week! This field guide features 271 Bigg's killer whales from multiple matrilines, including the CA51s: check it out here!
www.californiakillerwhaleproject.org/_files/ugd/b85107_dd516b5387b247988802edac6a969c30.pdf
More about World Orca Day:
www.worldorcaday.org/
Photo: CA51 "Star", one of photographer Alisa Schulman-Janiger's favorite Bigg's killer whales, is doing a HUGE spyhop to look DOWN into Alisa's small boat, off Palos Verdes in southern CA. ... See MoreSee Less
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New California Killer Whale Field Guide! We are incredibly proud to present the greatly expanded, third edition of our California Killer Whale Project Field Guide! This resource includes almost all recently encountered Bigg's killer whales that have been documented in California waters in order to aid whale watchers, researchers and the general public in identifying photographed killer whales in the field. This field guide will be a very useful tool in informing those interested in learning more about the killer whales that spend time in California waters; it includes many detailed matrilines and associated individuals. Our goal is to continue bolstering research to help more members of the public recognize these individual killer whales, hopefully inspiring them to care about these orcas and want to protect them and their habitat. This field guide represents thousands of hours of dedicated volunteer effort; it was researched and written through human expertise and collaboration. We also utilized the platform Finwave.io in the curation of this field guide, and we thank Jared Towers and his team for providing public access to such a valuable resource. Every other aspect of this guide was researched, written, and curated by people. We are especially grateful to our numerous photo contributors. We hope that you enjoy the newest iteration of California Killer Whale Project's field guide!
Please continue submitting killer whale sightings to us through our online form at our website or by emailing californiakillerwhaleproject@gmail.com!
www.californiakillerwhaleproject.org/_files/ugd/b85107_dd516b5387b247988802edac6a969c30.pdf ... See MoreSee Less
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Killer Whale talk tonight, Tuesday, June 30, 7pm PDT! Anaïs Remili, “You Are What You Eat, And For Killer Whales, It’s Not Always Good News”
REGISTER NOW: bit.ly/acs-sfbay-ARemili-FB
What can a tiny sample of killer whale skin or blubber reveal? Surprisingly, a lot! From their diet to the pollutants they carry and the effects on their health, a single biopsy opens a window into the wider ocean ecosystem. In this talk, Dr. Anaïs Remili will cover how lipid and chemical analyses help scientists track what killer whales eat, how contaminants move up the food chain, and why some populations do better than others. Please join us to explore the detective work behind marine mammal ecotoxicology and discover how these insights can guide real-world actions to protect whales and their habitats. ... See MoreSee Less
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Please read for important information about protecting Rice's whales! ... See MoreSee Less
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🐋 New ACS-LA Merchandise is Here! 🐬
Show your love for whales, dolphins, and the ocean while supporting marine conservation! Our new American Cetacean Society Los Angeles Chapter merchandise is now available, featuring a variety of t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, and more.
Every purchase helps support our mission by funding:
💙 Marine conservation initiatives
🔬 Research grants
📚 Education and outreach programs
🌊 Efforts to protect cetaceans and their habitats
Browse the full collection and find your new favorite piece of ocean-inspired apparel here:
👉 www.bonfire.com/store/acs---la-chapter/
Thank you for helping us make a difference for whales, dolphins, and the marine environment. Every purchase supports conservation and research that benefits the species we all care about. ... See MoreSee Less
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