*Special report Jan. 2008: not only have we seen good numbers of gray whales, our trips are also spotting Orca. There is a theory that Orca may track the gray whale migration, specially in areas where the whales may cross deep water, such as in the Monterey Bay and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuaries.

The gray whales have been spending the summer months feeding in the frigid waters off the coast of Alaska. The Cold nutrient feeding grounds have an abundance of little bottom dwelling creatures called amphipods. The amphipods that a gray whale feeds on are related to little animals you might see on local sandy shores, known as beach hoppers. During the month of October, daylight hours become shorter, and the northern ice closes in on the feeding grounds of the gray whale. This change in the season sends a message to the whales that it is time to depart on one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom, and the journey south begins.

As the whales travel south towards their breeding and birthing grounds off the central coast of Baja they will swim through both day and night, traveling about 4000-5000 miles one-way to their favored sheltered lagoons off Baja. The distance covered in a day is estimated to be a little under 100 miles. While nobody knows how the gray whales find their way on this journey, we do know that they travel close enough to shore to be seen each year by many lucky whale watching enthusiasts.

The southbound whales start to pass the local coast and the California Channel Islands around mid to late December. Because the whales travel in small groups or sometimes even alone, the passing of the whales goes on for well over a month. There are several lagoons, Guerrero Negro, Scammon's, San Ignacio, and Magdelena Bay, scattered down the coast of Baja where the whales will give birth and breed. Some of the whales who are not part of the breeding and birthing activity may spend only a short time at these southern destinations before starting the northbound journey back to the feeding grounds. This means that about the time the last of the southbound whales are traveling past Ventura and the Channel Islands, the first northbound whales are usually seen. This creates a gray whale watching season off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties that lasts for approximately four months, late December into April. To see an estimate of how many whales are passing through view the American Cetacean Societies gray whale census data
Information on the gray whale written by: Kathy deWet-Oleson

Don't miss out on a chance to see this incredible migration. Visit Island Packers whale watching schedule, or take a trip to Anacapa or Santa Cruz Island during the gray whale migration from late December into mid April.

For more information on the Pacific Gray Whale check out these websites: The American Cetacean Society (ACS), the ACS Channel Islands Chapter Or visit Island Packers Education Links for other additional online sources.