February 11 census for Laguna San Ignacio
Our Steven Swartz and his crew made a census and report 114 singles and 48 cow/calf pairs for a total of 210 gray whales!
February 3 census update from Laguna San Ignacio
76 cow/calf pairs, 32 singles = 184 total gray whales!
First 2013 departure tomorrow!
The Searcher crew, 24 passengers, and 2 naturalists will be heading out tomorrow night on our first 12-day excursion for 2013. Joining us as far as Laguna San Ignacio will be Steven Swartz, long-time Searcher friend and gray whale researcher.
We love this 30-year-old news clipping of him in the lagoon, photographing whales in 1983. (Thanks to Linda for that!)
If you click the link below you can read up on his current research (2012) in this special place. He does wonderful work for the whales and people in Laguna San Ignacio!
January 21 census
There were 113 gray whales in the lagoon–40 cow/calf pairs and 73 singles!
12 January 2013 census from Laguna San Ignacio
The total was 46 gray whales and 15 of those were cow/calf pairs. That means 16 adults are there as well.
First of the season’s baby gray whale!
The folks in LA counting the southbound migration have seen their first gray whale calf, swimming alongside its mom, of course. The total number of whales is now 220 counted from shore, including one baby calf!
Southbound gray whale census update
The December 1-31, 2012 count is in…182 gray whales counted from the shoreside station!
Gray whales and counting!
The LA-based shore census station (sponsored by American Cetacean Society, LA chapter) has counted a total of 69 southbound gray whales so far this month. They haven’t noted any calves yet, but the San Diego-based whalewatch boat did see one earlier this week. We would expect that most of these whales so far are near-term pregnant females, on their way to the calving lagoons in Baja California. And we’ll be right behind them!
December 26 update: They’ve counted 126 whales so far (southbound)!
