O U T d O O r E X P L O r AT I O N , E d U C AT I O N + C O N S E r VAT I O N
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R O B E R TA L E N E R T
A Whale of a Tail Story & Photos by Roberta Lenert
March is here, bringing one of the most exciting times of the year: whale watching season! Have you ever wanted to see a whale up close? If so, you live in THE perfect place — San Diego ranks as one the top destinations in the entire world to view the magnificent California gray whales. San Diego’s beautiful 70 mile long coastline falls right along their migratory path as the gray whales travel south from the frigid Bering Sea to the warm, tropical waters of Baja California. Every year starting in September and October, over 20,000 gray whales make their annual journey south, traveling approximately five miles per hour and averaging about 75 miles a day. The gray whales are heading to the protected lagoons of Baja California to give birth in the warm waters. The Baja lagoons are an ideal spot for the calves to be raised as it is shallow, safe from killer whales and protected from boats. The mother-and-calf pairs will stay in the Baja lagoons for approximately two to three months before making their journey north. The tropical water in the lagoons helps keep the babies warm while they develop their thick layer of blubber, which is essential for energy to swim during their long migration back up the coast. Gray whales are organized and travel in a very particular order. First down the coast are the pregnant females, which are known as cows. Next is the largest group consisting of males, or bulls, juveniles and non-pregnant females. Like other baleen whales, gray whales tend to travel in small pods of two to five whales. When the gray whales head back north, the mothers and their new calves are the last to leave Baja. 46
CROWN CITY MAGAZINE
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MARCH 2022
