This poor old Gray Whale has been hanging out in Dana Point Harbor for the past three days and we're still quite baffled by why he's here. It's the tale end of the migration period for Gray whales and it's assumed that any late comers are either young whales that have been separated from their pod or like this one, sick or old whales that may be lost or just ailing.
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Biologists Attempting To Rescue Sick Gray Whale Stuck In CA Harbor
SeaWorld biologists are on the scene in Dana Point Harbor, off the coast of California, where an elderly whale is sick and drifting around.
A Sea World whale disentanglement team is trying to remove long ropes seen dangling from the whale that has been swimming near Dana Point Harbor for a couple of days.
Wildlife biologist Joe Cordaro with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Long Beach says success depends on how well the whale cooperates.
Our local biologists are less hopeful though.
"I haven't changed my mind in terms of being concerned that this is an aging whale that has lost its energy necessary to continue its journey north to its feeding ground," he said Tuesday afternoon. "It seems to be expending minimal energy just to breathe."
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While as of now the whale is swimming on its own outside the harbor, the creature beaching itself does remain a possibility, said Sullivan.
"Aging is a normal process (but) we don't see that many whales rifting to the harbor or literally beaching themselves," he said. "Most whales that die, die in open water and they end up falling to the bottom" and their carcasses become food with a whole sea creatures community springing up around them.
"There's nothing that we can do for it other than try to keep it out of the harbor under its own power," Sullivan said. "This could go on for days."
Spectators gather near the Dana Point Harbor opening as an older gray whale floats just outside the harbor breakwater Tuesday morning in Dana Point, Tuesday.
KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
But people are watching, and going to see the old gray whale and are concerned for this struggling beauty, even though he's covered in barnacles. He's still something to behold.
Photo by Andrea Swayne
Tracey Engleking was paddling in the harbor when the whale came close enough to her that she could see what looked to her like yellow line or rope wrapped around the animal near its tail. Rope was also observed—by this reporter—trailing behind the animal as it swam past the Catalina Express vessel as it was being readied for the day’s trip to the island. The view from the bow afforded a clear view from above as the whale moved slowly past and back toward the harbor mouth.
"It was the most staggeringly awe-inspiring moment that I've ever had in the water," said Engelking. "I've never been that close to anything like that before."
These creatures inspire awe for a reason, they inspire us to come together and gather, we want to know more and to see more. As I typed this out, I was struggling on whether I should hope in my car and drive the twenty minutes down to the harbor so I could see him for myself but alas I have a huge paper due in a matter of hours. But I too, want to be there for this guy, I want to be there to be sure that if he is truly going to die, that he not die alone.
Spectators watch as an older gray surfaces for air out just outside the harbor breakwater Tuesday morning in Dana Point, Tuesday, May 11.
KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
This Whale, this old man of the sea has been making the longest migration that any animal undertakes for at least sixty years in a row. Of course he's tired. 12,000 miles round trip annually for sixty plus years.
Alone, in the ocean, this gray whale, an intelligent and social creature on his way to maybe die, or maybe just not able to swim as well as he'd like because of some fishing line, another human impact. But he's there and people are gathering to watch, to help and they want to hear his story.
This our gift in the Pacific, the Gray whales and they are ours to protect. The news isn't good for them though. Where are the Gray Whale babies?
ACS/LA Census (post #6) Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger reports a northbound count to date that is the lowest in 27 years, about 150 gray whales less that this time last season. She cautioned: "A larger proportion of gray whales may be traveling offshore, beyond our spotting capabilities." Several days with wind or fog frustrated spotters; "We can't count what we can't see!" They spotted 17 northbound gray whales over the past two weeks, 12 of them in cow/calf pairs, and considerably fewer than they normally see at this time. What was the highlight of the past two weeks? "A cow/calf pair that came in close to shore and repeatedly raised their heads out of the water during our annual potluck picnic. The food had to wait while we watched this active pair!" Be sure to read all the news there by clicking post #6.
At Gray Whales Count (#7) in the Santa Barbara Channel, Michael Smith says their number of northbound gray whales will likely exceed last year's, "but we are very low on calves. The last three years have not been good years, last year being the worst. This year, we will struggle to match the 2009 calf count." Don't miss the great photos and complete news there by clicking post #7.
Waiting At Pt. Piedras Blancas (#8) to count the last moms and babies to pass California, Wayne Perryman reports only five cow/calf pairs last week, for a total of 66 — the second-lowest count by this date in the 17-year series of the official cow/calf census. Why? Click #8 to read every word of his latest report. There's more below about this too.
Hopefully they are just out of our sight rather than not being born, we need the numbers, numbers are their only hope to keep these magnificent creatures with us. It's all about the numbers game in ecology and species populations. I know, doh!
But we have so much left to protect, so much biodiversity left to save and although our despair as environmentalists, every single one of you, whether you know it or not, is deep, as deep as we can drill our way down into the earth, we cannot forget those creatures that are still out there.
UPDATE:
SeaWorld team cuts ropes off distressed whale!
The good news is they were able to get the rope off of our friend in Dana Harbor and that it might have been the heavy netting that was keeping him from his migration and not that he was old and sick. This is a happy ending that I needed today. We all need some good news.
Officials say a SeaWorld team has cut off two ropes and removed more than 100 pounds of fishing net and other gear from a gray whale that has now returned to the ocean.
Wildlife biologist Joe Cordaro with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Long Beach says the whale started swimming easier after the nets were removed. He says the whale picked up speed and returned to the ocean.
Contrary to earlier reports that the whale appeared sick and ready to die, biologists now believe the whale's condition seemed to improve dramatically as it swam away.