Gifts From the Sea - Gray Whales

            The unimaginable thrill of adrenaline as the enormous gray body thrusts itself out of the rippling ocean water. It looms impossibly huge and powerful. It arches its back and then, all at once, it’s barreling down again, full speed! With a tremendous, thunderous SLAM! it throws itself back into the water and vanishes beneath the foamy wake of its own dive.

            Wow! It must be an absolutely indescribable experience to see a gray whale -- or any whale for that matter -- breaching in the open ocean wilderness. Like many people, I’ve only ever seen whales in pictures, and once or twice cooped up in aquarium tanks.

            But a lot of people along the California Coast have been having much more luck than I, this year. Apparently, there have been more Gray Whale sightings this year than there have been in about 30 year. There have been over 730 reported since last December 1^st alone! There have been sightings of all sorts, including breaching, spy-hopping (rising vertically out of the water for a peek around) and playing.

            Even more rare was the sighting described in this article. Scientists say that the Gray Whales usually go through their breeding rituals far from land in the deep, deep water, where it’s harder for roaming human eyes to see. This couple, for some reason, decided to go about it much closer to shore. In fact, the embedded video was taken from the tour boat that was only a few feet away as the whales went about their business! And  why not? Valentine’s Day is only a couple of weeks away!

            Actually, the scientists are not 100% sure that’s what the whales were doing, but if not, it was something quite like it. There was even a little dolphin following the whale around, which is, apparently, quite typical during these mating rituals, for reasons unknown. It’s another of Mother Nature’s mysteries.

            Scientists don’t know why Gray Whale sightings have become so prolific, out there, this year. Climatic changes, perhaps. But they’re taking full advantage of this opportunity to study this beautiful, amazing creature. Here are some incredible facts about them:

             At their biggest, they can be up to 50 feet long, and about 45 tons.

            They amaze people, every year, with their fantastic migration skills. They move, with the seasons, between Alaska and Mexico. That’s the length of the North   American continent. Wow! And I get tuckered just walking to the grocery store and back!

            Although they’re known as gentle and friendly whales, they have also been known bear the nickname “Devilfish” because of the ferocity with which Mother whales will protect their babies.

             Easily the most unusual Gray Whale sighting, this year, has been this one. A pair of conjoined twin calves was reported to have washed up on shore in Baja, California. The poor little creatures were already deceased and, judging from their size, they were likely born prematurely. The babies were taken for study, but one has to wonder what happened to the mama?

             But there's still trouble for the whales. Awhile ago, a Gray Whale got beached on shore in Seattle and didn’t survive the ordeal. When scientists examined the body, they were horrified to find the poor animal’s stomach was full of garbage including plastic bags, plastic bags, sweat pants, surgical gloves, duct tape, and a golf ball.

            Even more tragically, this isn’t the first whale to be found this way.

 

            It’s definitely been an unusual year for the Gray Whale. But it’s a strong surviving species. It once ranged up both sides of the continent. It’s disappeared completely from the East coast, and nearly vanished entirely from the face of the Earth by the late 19^th century. Today, some sources estimate nearly 20,000 animals in our ocean. That’s a fantastic recovery!

 

             So, the next time you're by the sea and you happen to see a water spout, or hear the tell-tale blowing sound or slapping fluke, or -- hope of hopes -- the monstrous breaching body, go ahead and whoop and yell and celebrate. Then stop for a moment and remember how lucky you truly are.