Shallow Gray Whales

Hi Brian,

 Got a question about Grey Whales.  While fishing  last week at Mill Creek, we had the Whales passing through the kelp in 30'- 50' of water. I've always thought they were a deeper water animal. Also, I'm assuming their feeding in and around the kelp. What are the feeding on?

I'm like Jack, this is only my second season on salt water. My policy is when in doubt throw it back. A laminet fish chart, is in my future.

Craigh

craigh,

Okay, I know little if anything about whales other than they're not fish.   

However, working at the Bodega Marine Lab, we see gray whales all the time as they migrate past the lab every year (from Mexico to Alaska in the spring, from Alaska to Mexico in the fall).   Many of the whales come really close to the lab in shallow water. I've also been spooked by a gray whale exhaling behind me while fishing on a kayak in shallow water.  I have no idea if they come there to eat and/or what they might be eating.  I always thought they were just curious and found shallow water interesting somehow.

Brian

...maybe they're in the shallows to avoid predators like the Orcas?

I don't know abour avoiding Orcas, did you ever see the footage of orcas beaching them selves to pick off seals and/or penguins and then flopping themselves back into the water?

I was thinking more about the whale - killing - Orcas hanging around the Monterey / Moss Landing area .

I'm sure a day with google will tell you all you want to know about grey whales.

Here's what I know in practical surfer/fisherman terms.

The grey whales calve down in baja in the winter.

You can see them up close and personal in a 20km x 1km lagoon at
puerto lopez mateo (great fishing in the mangroves there)
and also scammons lagoon (just a bit south of there (or is it north?))

It's tightly controlled by the mex government and pretty well run (suprise!).

$90 gets you a day in a panga with a guide and the whales will come right up to
the boat and seem to enjoy being touched and generally super curious and friendly.
The best conditions are no wind, and overcast. they will avoid the sun a bit.
They are huge, so something could easily go awry, but I went out there
with my two little boys anyways. A baby whale spyhopped and stared at me and
my kid from about 3 feet away. A mom went under the boat and gently lifted it
about 6" which my older boy was not so sure about.

They are kind of squishy to the touch, which I found strange.

A lot of the tourists were mexican which I found encouraging as that means they
are more into preservation than the usual rape and pillage mode, at least for
whales.

The water is not deep. 

February is the ideal time to see them.

End of winter they bail and migrate north for the summer, mom and baby together,
hoping to avoid killer whales on the way, and maybe white sharks, I don't know.

I have encountered orphaned? grey whales 200 yards from shore @ francis state
beach (kellys) in half moon bay while surfing. One stayed there for about a month
in the mid 1990's.

I see them real close to shore @ wadell reef in the summer.  They are headed north.

given all this, I can say that moms and babies are in fairly shallow water for quite a bit,
from the calving to the migration north. I assume they eventually end up in deep water
and where the males are, I don't know.

J

Thanks for all the info, I think this is a great addition to the site.

 I did do a quick yahoo search.   Grey whales are a near shore whale, and a bottom feeder. They dive down to the bottom roll on their sides and sift the sediment through their baleen. They are also known for being curious and friendly enough sometimes to get close to small boats and let people touch them.
 
But momma greys are also known as Devilfish by old whalers, because of their protective nature toward their calf's.  Don't try and get to close to her calf, she'll take you out..

Craigh

Grey whales usually feed in sandy to muddy bottom habitats by diving down and turning on thier side to scoop up mud.  Opten when the water is clear and seas calm you can see a mud trail behind them as they come up to breath.  The occurrence of grey whales in kelp beds can be an indication that a predator is nearby.  Many organisms will seek shelter to avoid predators, but whales are pretty smart and curious animals and they may have just been cruzin'.  When kayaking and a whale is spotted nearby, keep an eye out for trailers.  I have come pretty close a couple whales, and really try not to get in between a calf and momma, cause well that just wouldn't be good, for you! 

Jim InSeine Hobbs

in a book i have at home by the toilet it says that there are appx 23000 gray whales that go up and down our coast from baja to alaska to birth and feed each year. therre used to be about 30000 but they were hunted in early 1900's until they voted to protect the whales. during migration it says that the whales travel an average of 1/2 mile offshore all the way up and do not feed during travel as well as lose up to 20% of their body weight in this migration. this is the longest migration of any mammal.

i didint get any further since i was done in the bathroom. more details after the next sitting.

Had one swim right over the top of us while doing a 15 foot safety stop at the end of a 60 foot dive in Monterey, not more that 100 yards from shore.  My friend has an underwater video camera that he had just shut off, and couldn't get it back on in time to shoot the whale, ass you can see on the video is a dark shape heading north at a very high rate of speed.

 I'm told that Grays also like to come inshore to rub against rocks to get some of the parasites off their skin.