A Whale of a Watcher

 ...or rather, I'm a Whale Watcher, an official one, certified through Oregon's Parks Department.  Something to do at last!

Now is the annual migration south of the Gray Whale:  17,000 of 'em, traveling from their feeding grounds in the Bering Sea down to Baja California, lucky them.  They do their calving in lagoons down there, wait a couple months for the calves to build up a layer of blubber, then head back north, starting in February or whenever they feel like leaving, must be hard.

Whale Watchers count whales and people, along with any other creatures we may spot, including but not limited to Humpbacks, Orcas, Porpoises, Sea Lions and Harbor Seals.   Blue Whales, at 110 feet the largest mammal in the world, have been spotted but it's a rarity.  I couldn't spot shit amidst the choppy waves, but remained hopeful; watching the direction of other spotters in Boiler Bay (right).

"Can you tell when they surface?  Once you see one, do you realize, Oh...."

That's exactly what happens.  It's difficult to count them, of course, because several watchers may be spotting the same whale in different locations.  They may surface 3-5 times, 15 seconds or so in-between, blowing condensed moisture out of their two blow holes (left) and sucking in air; until they head down deep to feed on the bottom.  That's when you see the fluke propelling them downwards; and they can stay down for up to 15 minutes; 30 if they're avoiding something.  Unfortunately, my arms tire while holding up my binoculars, so my patience was thwarted by my stamina.

I ordered a Monocular (since it's bound to be lighter and I only see out of one eye anyway) which can be attached to the tall tripod I picked up in Goodwill last month.  It didn't arrive in time but I'll be ready in March.  When the whales head south they're pretty much taking a straight shot and not really feeding, losing approx. 30% of their body weight during the 6,000 mile journey.  We spotted them more than 4 miles from shore.

However, heading back north they take their time, feeding closer to shore along California, Oregon and Washington.  Depoe Bay (left) has a yummy kelp bed with a type of shrimp the whales seem to love, and I've heard stories of whales feeding right off the seawall.

Grays are Baleen whales, meaning they have a stringy, keratin 'moustache' up to 18" long, around the inside of their mouthes; compared to toothed whales like Orcas and Sperm Whales (think Moby Dick).  Grays open their mouthes and scoop up mud and sediment, then push the sediment and water through their baleen, leaving crustaceans and whatever to be licked off by their tongues.

Volunteers are available to answer questions from the public when the whales pass the Oregon coast: during the last week in December and one week in the spring; but of course the whales keep coming and going, so you can look out to sea at almost any time and possibly see something.  I'm sure, just like us, they have their early-birds and their dawdlers.

Grays are solitary creatures, but may travel in groups during their migration.  They face many hazards along the way: Orcas are their biggest threat; followed by entrapment (by nets) and boat strikes.  The Grays, now extinct in the Northern Atlantic, were hunted almost to extinction in the Pacific as well, until 1947, when the International Whaling Commission granted Gray whales full protection, allowing only indigenous peoples to hunt them for subsistence.

The Eastern Pacific population gradually came back.  In 2019 there were an estimated 24,000 Grays making the migration along the Pacific coast.  It's not known exactly why the population has decreased; but it is theorized their food supply can't handle more, since many emaciated whales washed up on shore.

The Western Pacific population is a different story.  Their Grays also migrate from the Arctic but travel along Russia, China and Japan, where they are still being (illegally) hunted. Their population is estimated to be less than 300.  While a few previously identified Eastern Pacific whales have been spotted in the Western Pacific, they tend not to switch back and forth.

There is a group of around 200 'resident' Grays which don't migrate all the way to Baja but prefer to spend the summer off the Oregon coast, those yummy shrimp.  They are a bit smaller than regular Grays, which average 45-50 feet long and 80,000 pounds.  Still, should make a for an exciting spectacle.

So my first shift was at Boiler Bay (left).  It started out rainy and nasty, eventually clearing, but not before my fingers and toes froze.  I didn't mind - I figured even if I didn't see a single whale, I'd learn the ropes and be better prepared in the spring.  Lucky me, one of the men from the 3-hour online video class was also volunteering, so I picked his brains.  Our group could brag we spotted 5 whales, but I didn't see more than maybe a single PFFFFFFT in the distance.  

The next day was worse weather and so I dressed more appropriately.  Wanting to mix up my locations I chose Cape Foulweather, discovered by Capt. James Cook in 1778.  He must have experienced the same weather we did because he sent no one ashore; just named the spot.  Too bad he didn't see it during good weather (here, in the summer). 

"Look, she has a real camera!"

Because it was pea soup outside we stayed inside the Gift Shop with the Ranger (left), another great source of information. Plenty of people came in, disappointed they couldn't see any whales, but they enjoyed our spiel, regardless.

My third shift, Depoe Bay on New Year's Day, was great.  The weather was crisp and clear and lots of people came out. I worked with another Newby (right) and joked, "Between the two of us, we make a pretty good guide." 

We counted 147 people and spotted (we think) 10 whales.  They were easier to notice in the calmer seas, and they were closer to shore, too.  Grays do not echo-locate, so it is theorized they navigate by following the sound of the surf, because they seem to be further out during stormy weather and rough seas.

I'm really glad I volunteered and look forward to March.  I'd like to look in to other related volunteer positions with the Whale Center (above left) or somewhere else there's a need; although it would be dangerous to be in a gift shop, they have such cute stuff.  I was thrilled (and proud of myself) to get out, meet new people, interact (and joke) with strangers, and do something good for Conservation.  I certainly know a helluva lot more about whales than I did 2 weeks ago (but please don't hold me to my facts; I mean well). 

I'll close with a warning from Dr. Bruce Mate, adjunct professor of Oceanography at Oregon State University and director and endowed chair of the OSU Marine Mammal Program:

“If our generation and our children’s generation don’t learn more about what whales need and start actively considering how to provide for their future, they will go the way of the dodo bird and the passenger pigeon, and that is no exaggeration.”