Gray whale migration off Oregon, USA


This video says about itself:

Incredible Whale Encounter – Mother Gray Whale Lifts Her Calf Out of the Water! [HD]

14 March 2012

A mother gray whale lifted up her calf, seemingly to help it get a better view of the excited onlookers, and we caught it all on camera.

For in-depth information on the whales of San Ignacio and regulations of the area, see our blog post here.

The gray whales in San Ignacio Lagoon frequently approach small tourist boats, seeking the human interaction. While they could easily avoid the people, whose small boats are not allowed to closely approach whales, they actually seem to enjoy making contact.

Laguna San Ignacio is on the Pacific coast of Mexico’s Baja peninsula and is the destination for hundreds of gray whales, who migrate annually to the region from their feeding grounds in the Arctic. Here, where the water is shallow and warm, they give birth to their young. It lies within El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve and is the gray whale‘s last undisturbed nursing and breeding ground, largely thanks to an environmental victory in 2000 that stopped the development of an industrial salt plant.

Whale watching here is highly regulated, with limits on how many boats can be on the water, how long they can stay, and how close they can get; rather than closely approaching the whales, they must idle their engine and wait for the whales to approach the vessel, which is a common occurrence.

From The Register-Guard in Oregon in the USA:

Whale of a good time begins Sunday in coastal waters

Dec 25, 2015

While much of the state of Oregon seems to be underwater with rain this month, there are some mammals who probably haven’t noticed.

Winter Whale Watch Week on the Oregon Coast officially begins Sunday, and it’s one of the best times of the year to spot gray whales migrating south to Mexico to give birth to their calves, said Luke Parsons, a ranger for Oregon State Parks, in a statement.

Parsons said about 18,000 whales travel 12,000 miles from arctic waters in Alaska to Baja Mexico. The trip takes about three months.

Those who’d like to catch a glimpse of the massive animals can do so at a variety of viewing areas along the coast. Parsons said there are about 40 volunteer-staffed locations where gray whales can be spotted, including the 10th floor of the Inn at Spanish Head in Lincoln City, where visitors can spot the creatures nearly every daylight hour in late December.

There are also 24 viewing spots along the coast marked with “whale watching spoken here” signs. Volunteers at those locations will point out special behaviors such as spy hopping, breaching and spouting.

Volunteers also will discuss whale feeding, courtship and migration patterns.

Volunteers will be available at the locations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

But if you can’t make it to the coast this coming week, don’t fret, as winter migration typically lasts through mid-January.

For a closer view, Dockside Charters in Depoe Bay offers daily whale-watching excursions.

Loren Goddard of Dockside said in a statement that the trips are popular, and he recommends booking reservations in advance.

“Visitors are curious about whales on the coast. And the whales are just as curious about us as we are of them. The best part is when they come right up to the boat,” Goddard said. “Seeing these mammals up close is a very special experience.”