Census Project Director/Coordinator: Alisa Schulman-Janiger
Email: janiger@cox.net
For daily sighting details, please visit: www.acs-la.org
More humpback and blue whale sightings highlighted our 2018/2019 ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project, but many skinny grays and low calf counts were very concerning. This is the 36th consecutive season that the American Cetacean Society’s Los Angeles Chapter has sponsored a full season gray whale census project from the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Our cliff-side post is on the patio of the Point Vicente Interpretive Center (PVIC), 138 feet above kelp beds and rocky shoreline, with a seafloor that drops off abruptly near shore. Citizen scientists – trained volunteers – collect data on gray whales and other cetaceans (identifications, counts, and behaviors). All participants use binoculars (most with reticles and compass); some also use spotting scopes to confirm and detail sightings. Weather data (visibility, weather conditions, sea conditions) are recorded at least twice hourly.
COVERAGE: Our census station operated for 2,100 hours over the 176 days between 1 December 2018 and 25 May 2019 averaging nearly 12 hours/day). Our 127 volunteers contributed 11,350 effort hours. The thirteen core volunteers that donated over 200 hours each, totaling 34.6% of our effort hours (and the number of volunteered days) include: Joanne Kajiyama, 456 (106); Alisa Schulman-Janiger, 371 (62); Joyce Daniels, 369 (111); Gerrie Teague Cole 353 (77); Gordon Gates, 307 (52); Chad Sprouse, 302 (64); Kathy Beckman, 297 (49); Cynthia Woo, 293 (51); Gregg Gentry, 287 (88); Mike Malone, 254 (69); Rob Gray, 232 (55); Nina Whiddon, 205 (45); and Corine Sutherland, 201 (50). Twenty-seven other volunteers donated 100-199 hours each, totaling 35.2% of our effort hours. Experienced observers anchor all shifts; 26 volunteers have been with us for at least 10 seasons.
GRAY WHALE COUNTS FELL: We spotted 543 southbound and 1,612 northbound gray whales (929 southbound and 1,951 northbound grays last season). This was our twenty-fourth highest southbound count, and our thirteenth highest northbound count. Whale counts have widely fluctuated over 35 previous seasons: southbound counts varied from 301-1,902, and northbound counts varied from 521-3,412. Although most of the ~26,960 gray whales (NOAA Fisheries 2015-2016 estimate) migrate past California, we spot only a small proportion. Gray whales off Palos Verdes, especially adults, tend to travel further offshore – notably during the southbound migration. Northbound whales, particularly cow/calf pairs and juveniles, tend to hug the coastline. These trends, combined with extended springtime observation hours, produce higher northbound counts. Shifting migratory corridors and weather conditions result in annually fluctuating shore-based counts. The number of whales completing migration varies, and feeding ground conditions (especially ice coverage) affect migratory timing and corridors. Poor visibility drastically affects counts. Fog compromised visibility during approximately the same number of days this season (57) as last season (59).
PEAKS AND TURN-AROUND DATES: Our peak southbound count of 34 was on 14 February (the day before turn-around); our previous peak counts ranged from 15-98. We spotted 164 southbound whales during our peak southbound week of 29 Jan-4 Feb (171 last season). Our southbound migration started later. The official turn-around date (when daily northbound whales exceed southbound whales) was 15 February – when northbound first exceeded southbound grays. We spotted 49 northbound grays during the “southbound migration”, and 44 southbound grays during the “northbound migration”. Our peak northbound count was 111 grays on 11 March – our highest peak count since March 1988 (88 last season). Previous northbound peaks counts ranged from 20-152. We recorded 423 gray whales during the peak northbound week (main migration pulse) of 7-13 March (398 last season).
MUCH LOWER CALF COUNTS: We documented our seventeenth highest southbound calf count, and our twenty-ninth highest (or seventh lowest) northbound calf count. We spotted 24 newborn southbound calves (4.4% of southbound migrants) between 4 January-7 February, peaking with 3 calves on 22 January (last season: 61 newborn calves: 6.6 % of the southbound migrants). Peak southbound weeks were 9-15 January and 22-28 January, with 8 calves each. Our record high southbound calf count occurred during the 1997-1998 season (106 calves, 8.6% of southbound migrants). Previous southbound calf counts ranged from 3-60 (0.5%-8.9% of southbound migrants), with the lowest percentage (0.5%) in 1988-1989. We counted 37 northbound calves (2.3% of northbound migrants), between 24 March-17 May, peaking with 5 calves on 25 April. Last season we spotted 104 northbound calves (5.3% of northbound migrants); three seasons ago we tracked a record 341* northbound calves (13.4% of northbound migrants). Previous record calf counts included 260 northbound calves (22.9% of northbound migrants) in 2011-12, and 222 calves (13.8% of northbound migrants) in 1996-1997. Our other calf counts have ranged from 11-207 (0.9%-18.5% of northbound migrants). We recorded 14 cow/calf pairs during both peak weeks, 16-22 April and 15-25 April (27 pairs last season). The peak northbound week (cow/calf migration pulse) typically occurs 4-8 weeks later that the main pulse, which allows calves to nurse longer and strengthen swimming skills in Baja lagoons before initiating their perilous migration northward. **Probable additional gray whale calves: 2 more southbound calves, and 2 more northbound calves.
BEHAVIORS AND HUMAN INTERACTIONS: We saw whales milling, rolling, lunging, breaching, spyhopping, head lifting, tail throwing, playing in kelp (“kelping”), bubble blasting, courtship, nursing behavior (calves surfacing on alternating sides of their moms), and pods separating and merging. Entanglement: *We tracked one very skinny entangled gray: 24 April (gillnet attached to flukes), and notified the entanglement team, which responded; they disentangled this whale a few days later. Harassment: On 17 days, we witnessed 19 boats approach too-closely, some nearly hit whales! Gray whales clearly reacted to these close calls: nearly all changed travel direction (zig-zag, turn outward, reversed). Some became stealthy/low profile or disappeared. One whale milled, another rolled onto its side, another spyhopped twice; one pair split up. One calf did 5 head lifts; another calf did a head lift and swam onto its mom’s back.
LOWER CALF COUNTS, SKINNY GRAYS, UME: NOAA Fisheries’ 2015-2016 ENP gray whale population estimate was ~26,960, a 22% increase (5670 whales) since 2010-2011 (~ 20,990); this five year period included >6000 calves (four highest calf years since 1994, when gray whales were removed from the endangered species list). Population fluctuations, number of whales completing migration, weather conditions, and observer experience affect whale counts.The gray whale population dropped by ~5,000 with an Unusual Mortality Event (UME, 1999-2000), which included three low calf seasons. Arctic warming led to a northward shift in distribution of gray whale prey (mud-dwelling shrimp-like amphipods): they thrive in cooler water, feeding on algae that fall from ice sheets. Gray whales shifted northward as they followed their prey. Then strandings decreased and calf production increased. Gray whales sometimes ignore the initial migration cue (shortened daylight hours) so that they can rebuild blubber that allows them to fast during migration and on Baja nursery ground, and provides energy to withstand disease, storms, and killer whale attacks. New UME: in December 2018, we started documenting skinny (and sometimes emaciated) gray whales, increasing in number as our season progressed. A late southbound migration, fewer calves, skinny grays, and increased strandings concerned many gray whale researchers along our west coast this season *UME: on 31 May 2019, NOAA Fisheries declared a new Gray Whale Unusual Mortality Event (UME), with elevated strandings (205) reported between Mexico and Alaska: 37 in CA (out of 114 in US), 81 in Mexico, and 10 in Canada (as of 29 Aug 2019). Continued expanded ice-free habitat and lower nutrient flow may have contributed to challenging feeding conditions. Overall gray whale calf recruitment dramatically dropped, likely due to poor maternal condition. It is very important to see if this UME – and drop in calf recruitment – continues next season.
OTHER SPECIES SIGHTED: We spotted 12-13 other marine mammal species over 176 days (176 days last season), including more sightings of humpbacks and blues. return of Risso’s dolphin, and *KILLER WHALES on 2 days. Comparing this season (to last season), we spotted bottlenose dolphin on 150 days, including leucistic “Patches” (154-155), common dolphin on 144 days (161), Pacific white-sided dolphin on 86 days (69-70), fin whale on 75-88 days, including fluking fin whale “Flukey”(108-118+), humpback whale on 39-49 days (37-39), blue whale on 34-35+ days (15-18+), Risso’s dolphin on 6 days (0-1), *KILLER WHALES* on 2 days: 1 Dec and 17 Dec (3), minke whale on 1-4 days (0-1), false killer whale on 0-1 day (0), California sea lion on 152+ days (170+), harbor seal on 9+ days (65+), and Steller (northern) sea lion on 3 days (0).
*KILLER WHALES: we obtained ID images of Bigg’s (transient) killer whales, including CA51 “Star” and family: “The Friendly Pod”!
California Killer Whale Project: please help contribute to this citizen science research project!
*Please send photos/sighting data to: janiger@cox.net; Alisa Schulman-Janiger will compare to our Photo-ID catalog, notify you.
PREVIOUS SEASONS – OTHER SPECIES SIGHTED: sperm whale, pilot whale, northern right whale dolphin, beaked whale, Dall’s porpoise, northern elephant seal, and southern sea otter.
GRAY WHALE INTERACTIONS: gray whales sometimes interacted with other marine mammals including bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin, and sea lion. We also observed mixed species groupings: different types of dolphin, dolphin with sea lion, and other whales with dolphin/sea lion.
MISCELLANEOUS: Two peregrine falcons* were observed nearly daily, raised three chicks; this is the fourth consecutive year we have documented them nesting at PVIC. Osprey(s) were seen on many days, usually foraging. Peregrines and ospreys continue to recover from DDT (pesticide) contamination. We also spotted a basking shark and a thresher shark. Many days ended with green flash sunsets.
OBSERVERS’ HOURS: (*new observers): Joanne Kajiyama (456), Census Project Director/Coordinator Alisa Schulman-Janiger (371), afternoon anchor Joyce Daniels (369), Gerrie Teague Cole (353), Gordon Gates (307), Chad Sprouse (302), Kathy Beckman (297), Cynthia Woo (293), Gregg Gentry (287), Mike Malone (254), Rob Gray (232), Nina Whiddon (205), Corine Sutherland (201), M’Liz Callender (174), Libby Helms (163), Agnes Rutkai (157), Sheila Parker (155), Sjors Sjors (154), Laurie Thomson (145), Miriam Moses (142), *Jeanne Bishop (138), Kathy Hill (138), Jean Woodrow (137), Joyce Neu (136), *Stacy Kortkamp (134), *Bart Eccles (131), *Iva Maes (129), Nancy Johnson (128), Pat Ashenfelter (125), Tony Carrillo (125), Stephanie Bryan (123), Rod Jensen (123), Skip Eastman (121), Richard Scholtz (121), Deborah Leon (114), *Kevin Coy (108), *John Fleming (107), Petrina Long (104), *Kelley Hartman (102), Dee Whitehurst (101), Karl Veek (99), Gina Lumbruno (99), *Cathy Moran (97), Tina Hoff (95), Rachel Narr (91), *April Carbone (90), Pam Ryono (90), *Greta Bravo (89), Stacy Gremminger (88), *Nanette Dominguez (86), Jo Bonds (86), Cathy Ragland (85), Nancy Arseneault (85), Kim Botts (85), *Maria Coy (84), Carol Tokushige (84), Wes Tokushige (84), Denise Donegan (83), *Liliana Ghelfi (82), Nancy DeLong (81), Robin Riggs (80), Eric Hemion (80), Stuart Warren (77), Cheryl Revkin (76), Suzan Carne (73), *Jean Huber (71), Susan Stella (71), Maura Whitfield (70), Ken Ragland (70), Erlinda Cortez (69), Roma Zuniga (68), *Barb Ailor (68), Laura Marcella (68), *Cesar Castaneda (67), Pat Harpole (67), *Kevin Thornton (65), *Jeff Wolfe (63), Patti Indictor (59), Terri Bidle (57), *Susan Considine (57), *Lory Barra (56), *Cindy Ensworth (55), *Ann Weatherly (55), Dave Morse (54), *Kara Stella (54), Christy Varni (53), Karlea Carruth (53), Barbara McTigue (51), Joan Krause (50), Randall Hedstrom (50), *Annette Pearson (49), Andy Veek (49), Donna McLaughlin (48), Paul Nitchman (47), *Caroline DeGraff (47), *David DeGraff (47), Sherrie Rohde (45), Brett Barker (43), *Debbie Prosser (43), *Noelle Pellowski (41), *Sally Terwilliger (41), Vikki Franck (40), Stan Kaminski (40), Carla Mitroff (39), Jacque Bixby (38), Bob Jensen (33), *Christina Van Oosten (32), Val Lattanza (29), Kathy Eddy (28), Tricia Horn (26), Susan Miles (23), Kris De-Roo (18), *Maggie Levy (18), Nina Sua (17), *Blanca Zuniga (16), *Dyanne Razook (16), Natalie Massey (16), *Brianna Pope (15), September Sucher (15), *Antonio Squillante (15), Louisa (Kosel) Beck (14), Carl Etow (14), Tom Budar (13), Ann Pitts (12), Meta Dunn (12), Sara Engl (12), and Hugh Ryono (11).
*SPECIAL THANKS: to anchor Joyce Daniels (generating daily updates and graphs), and Dave Janiger (digitizing data entries)*.
JOIN US! Contact Alisa Schulman-Janiger at: janiger@cox.net. No experience necessary: on-site training in December. Highly recommended: attend Cabrillo Whalewatch Training Class at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (CMA) [(310) 548-7562 (548-7770); www.cabrilloaq.org], co-sponsored by CMA and ACS-LA (www.acs-la.org). On Tuesday nights, October-March, volunteers are trained to become whale watch naturalists and classroom lecturers. ACS-LA offers free lectures from invited specialists the last Tuesday of each month at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, and all day whale watching trips (www.acs-la.org).
*Please contact Census Project Director for permission to cite this copyright-protected data in publications: janiger@cox.net.