Journey North Gray Whales

Overview
Gray whales migrate farther than any mammal. Their journey between the warm birthing lagoons in Mexico and the frigid arctic feeding grounds adds up to more than 10,000 miles roundtrip—each and every year of their lives!

Join Journey North to follow the northward migration of gray whales from their nursery lagoons in Baja California to their summer feeding grounds in Alaska. News from our observers at outposts along the way will help narrate the extraordinary journey.

Two Observation Methods
You can follow the migration in your classroom in two ways:

1. Follow "First Sightings," Reported by Observers Along the Migration Trail
Sightings will be reported by people who see whales as they migrate up the Pacific Coast to the arctic feeding grounds. If you live along the whale trail, please report your sightings!

First northbound gray whales.
First northbound mother/calf pairs.

2. Follow "Point Count" Studies, Reported by Volunteers at Key Observation Posts ("Point Count" Method)
Like watching a parade, trained volunteers watch for whales and calves passing two California observations posts. This is called the "point count" method of tracking migration. By following the pace of migration past one place you can see how the migration ebbs and flows during the season. You can track gray whales from one or both census posts using the live data from these two sites.

Los Angeles, California The American Cetacean Society-Los Angeles Chapter reports whales southbound and northbound using the nearshore coastal path. This is a long-term study.
- Los Angeles, California (ACS/LA)
Goleta, California "Gray Whale Counts" reports northbound whales (many with calves) passing Coal Oil Point in Goleta, California (10 miles west of Santa Barbara). The census is being conducted from the mainland and will look at whales who choose to go along the coast (which is the long way). Over time and in comparison with other census data, this count should begin to provide an understanding of the percentages of whales that choose between the two routes: along the coast and the more direct route through the Channel islands. We're thrilled to share data!
- Goleta, California (Gray Whales Count)

The data and our guiding questions help you compile a picture of migration as the whales swim past. What migration patterns will emerge based on the hundreds of whales observed offshore? This lesson explains how to use the "point count" migration data to calculate, graph, and analyze.

Thanks to Alisa Schulman-Janiger and volunteers of the ACS-LA Census, and to Michael Smith and volunteers of Gray Whales Count for providing this opportunity!