whale migration – Syndication Server

Gray whale carcass with bite marks washes ashore on L.A. Beach

The 39-foot gray whale carcass was discovered floating off Marina del Rey on Saturday with most of its head missing.

**UPDATE: Orcas might not have killed the whale despite an initial claim by a researcher. An examination of the carcass after the whale washed ashore revealed possible shark bites, but results of a necropsy are pending. We apologize for any erroneous information that might have been provided by sources.

Two Los Angeles County boaters on Saturday spotted a gray whale that had recently been killed by orcas and was missing most of its head.

Alisa Schulman-Janiger, director of the ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project, told FTW Outdoors that Jean Huber and Christy Varni discovered the floating carcass at mid-morning less than a mile off Marina del Rey.

Huber and Varni, project volunteers, said the orcas, or killer whales, were not present. But they told Schulman-Janiger that orca teeth marks were evident on the 39-foot carcass.

Schulman-Janiger, also Lead Research Biologist for the California Killer Whale Project, suspected five orcas that had been spotted farther south, off Orange County, on Thursday.

The orcas were photo-identified after Thursday’s sighting as Bigg’s killer whale CA56 and her three kids, along with a closely associated female, CA133.

“I can’t say for sure that this was them, but they were confirmed to have killed at least one common dolphin on Thursday,” Schulman-Janiger said.

Gray whale carcass a day before it washed ashore. Photo: Jean Huber

Bigg’s killer whales prey predominantly on other marine mammals, including gray whales. But virtually all previous gray whale predations have involved much smaller calves.

The CA56/CA133 pod has only been documented seven times as of Thursday, with most sightings logged off Monterey in Central California.

Until Thursday, the farthest south these orcas had been documented was off Santa Barbara in December 2023.

‘Heartbreak in San Diego’ as baby whale found with no mom; video

“The young whale approached our boat multiple times, likely in a desperate attempt to nurse from our hull.”

The operators of a San Diego whale-watching company on Sunday were greeted by a newborn gray whale that was without its mom and desperately craving milk.

Domenic Biagini, owner of Gone Whale Watching San Diego, stated via Instagram, “Today was far and away the most heartbreaking day I’ve ever had on the water.”

He added: “The young whale approached our boat multiple times, likely in a desperate attempt to nurse from our hull.”

Biagini’s description of the encounter is included in the video posted below. He was with his girlfriend and business partner Erica Sackrison, who stated in a separate post:

“The silent screams are deafening. A newborn gray whale without its mother. We waited, hoping to spot another whale nearby, but none ever appeared.”

Their posts provide more details and share their feelings of helplessness. But it’s worth noting, for context, that gray whales are presently migrating from Alaska to nursing areas off Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.

Whale births often occur during the southbound migration, but it’s rare to encounter a baby whale without its momma. Sadly, newborn gray whales cannot feed or defend themselves if they become separated from their mothers.

As Sackrison stated, “Sometimes nature can really break your heart.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEvtuiuyugx/

Whale swims beneath surfers, but do they even notice?

The video opportunity of a lifetime presented itself in the form of a whale spout, then another, as Payton Landaas watched from his patio.

The video opportunity of a lifetime presented itself Monday in the form of a whale spout, then another, as Payton Landaas watched from the patio of his parents’ home overlooking a famous Southern California surf spot.

“I knew how rare this moment could be so I ran to get my drone,” Landaas, 18, told For The Win Outdoors.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRP5B-bn25s]

Moments later he was capturing aerial footage of a 25-foot gray whale swimming toward and beneath unsuspecting surfers as they waited for waves at Doheny State Beach in Orange County.

As viewers can see, the whale surfaces once inside the lineup, then approaches 20-plus surfers as they sit lazily on their boards. One young surfer turns around and spots the whale, then paddles away as the leviathan passes beneath him.

Some of the surfers did not seem to notice the whale. Photo: Payton Landaas

“The whale was inside the lineup, which wouldn’t have happened any other time of day due to the tide,” Landaas said, explaining that the morning high tide allowed the large mammal to swim close to shore.

Many of the surfers did not seem to see the whale, but Landaas’ footage affords a unique perspective revealing the graceful movements of such a large cetacean.

Landaas, a resident of Capistrano Beach and a senior at San Juan Hills High School, had just launched Stealth Photos and lists himself as owner and chief drone pilot.

The whale, likely a juvenile looking for food on the sandy bottom, is somewhat of a stray.

The southbound gray whale migration, from feeding grounds off Alaska to breeding areas off Mexico, does not peak off Southern California until January.

–Video and photos are courtesy of Payton Landaas/Stealth Photos