According to the most recent research we had in Our March CINC WEBINAR, the
Gray Whales on the current migration have rebounded well from the last due off
and malnourishment episode. Also, they are feeding now in some locations along
the way, that used to be historical hangouts to which the have returned, like
San Francisco Bay. Cheers, Paul
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 7, 2022, at 10:10 AM, Judy Oberlander <oberlanderjudy@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I read that the reason they are feeding during migration is that they aren't
getting enough food in the Arctic and that's also why so many emaciated grays
have been sighted. But it must have been very cool to see.
Judy Oberlander
From: cinc-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <cinc-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of
William Francis <wfbfran41@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, April 7, 2022 5:57 AM
To: CINC Freelists <cinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [cinc] A Pleasant Surprise
Today, Wednesday, our IP boat set off for Scorpion Anchorage and Santa Rosa.
On leaving the harbor, we immediately encountered heavy seas and a dense fog
right on the deck which lasted until we broke into a patch of sunshine at the
Scorpion Pier. Heading toward the backside of Santa Cruz we were right back
in the soup and people were getting restless until about a mile from the pier
at Betchers Bay when the sun came out again, this time to stay.
And what else did we see directly in front of us— at least 5 gray whales
diving continuously to feed off the bottom. When they came up, we could see
mud and sand streaming from their mouths as they forced it through their
baline, creating a large sandy cloud around them before they dived again. And
we thought they don’t feed on their migration! It was an extraordinary sight.
The glorious weather held, and Santa Rosa was full of wild flowers. On the
way back we saw 2 humpbacks, but no dolphins and also visited Painted Cave.
