January 15 census from Laguna San Ignacio
Our Mexican colleagues report 34 gray whales on that day: 22 adults and 6 mother/calf pairs. The season is underway!
Getting ready!
Gray whales are migrating south past San Diego in good numbers, so that means our Baja whalewatching season is about to start. Our first tour leaves on Sunday night and those passengers will be migrating along with the gray whales, following them right into Laguna San Ignacio!
Please check in to our Wildlife Blog as we will be posting daily updates starting next week.
January 13 report from census
The shore-based census in the LA area reported this: We saw “8 gray whales, including two calves. Both of the cow/calf pairs came in close. In the first sighting they milled, the calf kept rolling and lifting its head high and rode on mom’s back for a while. The second sighting we saw the mom come up with the calf on her rostrum. We could see the fetal folds down the calf’s back. At one point mom, calf and three sea lions circled around”
We see this kind of cow/calf behavior in Laguna San Ignacio as well. Our passengers on 2011 tours will, no doubt, enjoy observing this starting later this month!
January 11 report for Laguna San Igancio
Our Mexican friends and colleagues in Laguna San Ignacio report that at least two babies and 10-12 adult gray whales have arrived!
Chef Charles’ carrot cake recipe
Everyone loves Charles’ carrot cake, so here’s the recipe:
Icing
1-8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans halves (optional, for garnish)
Soften cream cheese and butter and mix. Add sugar a little at a time while mixing. Add vanilla.
Cake
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 cup Wesson oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 tsp vanilla
Sift dry ingredients together. Add oil, eggs, and carrots. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Ice the cake. Add pecans, if desired, on top of each piece.
13 southbound gray whales counted 2 January 2011
Message from the LA-based shore observers: “Best gray whale day so far despite the rain! First we tracked a large pod of five large, fast-moving whales; most fluked. Shortly after that, we found a pod of three whales. Most of the sightings came within a mile offshore, but one gray whale pair stayed out about two miles offshore. We also spotted common dolphin and bottlenose dolphin.”
Good reading for Baja!
if you are looking for ways to prepare for your trip, you
might read John Steinbeck’s “Log from the Sea of Cortez.” it
details a six-week marine specimen-collecting expedition that
Steinbeck made in 1940 at various sites in Baja California with his
marine biologist and friend, Ed Ricketts. It is usually available
in libraries and used book stores. it is a thoughtful and humorous
story about a journey of discovery, much like the one our guests
are about to enjoy!
Here come the grays!
Shore-based census programs are just starting to count the first southbound gray whales of the season. Travel safe and we’ll meet you in Laguna San Ignacio!
Non-profit group supplies Baja schools
We are honored to help supply Laguna San Ignacio schools with educational supplies, as provided and organized by our friends at Baja School Friends. Read more about their work here: http://www.bajaschoolfriends.org/
Tom Jefferson’s book on marine mammals
Searcher naturalist and marine mammal book author, Tom Jefferson, is offering signed copies of his book “Marine Mammals of the World” to our passengers at a discounted price. If you are interested in a copy, please email us.
Here is the book description:
www.elsevier.com/wps/find/bookdescription.cws_home/713331/description#description
Hardbound, 592 Pages
Published: DEC-2007
Imprint: ACADEMIC PRESS
Thomas Jefferson, Clymene Enterprises, c/o Southwest Fisheries Science Center
Marc Webber, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Robert Pitman, Southwest Fisheries Science Center
With coverage on all the marine mammals of the world, authors Jefferson, Webber, and Pitman have created a user-friendly guide to identify marine mammals alive in nature (at sea or on the beach), dead specimens “in hand”, and also to identify marine mammals based on features of the skull. This handy guide provides marine biologists and interested lay people with detailed descriptions of diagnostic features, illustrations of external appearance, beautiful photographs, dichotomous keys, and more. Full color illustrations and vivid photographs of every living marine mammal species are incorporated, as well as comprehendible maps showing a range of information. For readers who desire further consultation, authors have included a list of literature references at the end of each species account. For an enhanced understanding of habitation, this guide also includes recognizable geographic forms described separately with colorful paintings and photographs. All of these essential tools provided make “Marine Mammals of the World” the most detailed and authoritative guide available!
Audience:
Marine biologists, laypeople interested in a guide to marine mammals.
