A pair of gray whales travel south to Baja California. Photo by Catilin Scully.
By Caitlin Scully, Birch Aquarium whale naturalist
February 1-7
Whales are everywhere!
Each day we’ve had consistent views of whales near the boat as well as in the distance. This week we witnessed mating, breaching, and of course, slow and steady migration. Many of the whales have been easy to watch. They are not moving erratically nor showing discomfort at the presence of the boat. This was surprising, as there were several naval warships nearby every day.
There is exciting news about the dolphins we’ve been seeing. Normally, we encounter bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, as well as Pacific white-sided dolphins. This week we were lucky enough to come upon Risso’s dolphins, one of the larger members of the dolphin family known for their distinctive body markings. These illusive dolphins are normally found further offshore.
