Encouraging news emerges as the gray whale calf count doubles during this year's spring migration, marking a significant improvement from the previous record-low count. NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Fisheries Science Center reports this promising uptick, suggesting a potential stabilization of the eastern North Pacific gray whale population that had been facing a decline linked to increased strandings. This situation prompted NOAA Fisheries to declare an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) in 2019.
The increased calf count aligns harmoniously with other optimistic indicators, including a rise in mother-calf pairs observed in Mexican wintering lagoons and a decrease in instances of whale strandings. While this surge in calf numbers is indeed promising, Aimée Lang, the lead researcher, underscores the essential need for ongoing vigilance and monitoring to truly grasp the implications of this positive shift. This latest count estimates the total gray whale population at around 14,500, significantly lower than the approximately 27,000 estimated in 2016.
In a bid to comprehensively monitor the trajectory of the gray whale population, researchers are conducting counts at a higher frequency. The spike in strandings, notably of emaciated whales, in 2019 raised concerns about inadequate food availability during the Arctic summer feeding period. In the year 2023, 13 gray whales stranded in Washington, a figure edging close to the 15 that were recorded in 2022.
A dedicated team of scientists is delving into multiple factors contributing to the Unusual Mortality Event, including shifts in Arctic food sources, vessel collisions, entanglements, and the predation by killer whales. The research team will meticulously evaluate whether the increased calf count and the current positive trends hold enough weight to warrant the conclusion of the Unusual Mortality Event status.
Source: Southwest Fisheries Science Center. (Aug 10, 2023). Gray Whale Calf Count Increases from All-time Low, Positive Sign for the Population. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/gray-whale-calf-count-increases-all-time-low-positive-sign-population
