A satellite-tagged gray whale from the Russian side of the Pacific has crossed over to join the Eastern gray whales on southbound migration. We plan to watch for her (the satellite tag is visible on her back) on our trips into Baja’s San Ignacio Lagoon and in the open ocean. Click here for a map of her migration path: http://mmi.oregonstate.edu/Sakhalin2011
Here is a post from Dr Bruce Mate of Oregon State University:
“More on Varvara, the western gray whale from Russia, now in Baja, CA. Interview with Dr. Bruce Mate: “…too early to know for sure what’s happening. One idea is that some grays near Russia are actually eastern grays that have sought out new territory because there are so many whales along the United States and Canada. Another possibility is that some western Pacific whales routinely cross the ocean but they haven’t been discovered until now”. Stay tuned!”
