A juvenile male gray whale, washed ashore near Victoria, British Columbia, in April. A spokesman for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada said the whale was extremely emaciated. Whales that do not get enough food in their Alaskan feeding grounds run out of reserves during their annual northern migration. Photo courtesy of Darren Stone, Times Colonist.

by Nancy Whelan

“Life began in the sea. So goes the whale … so goes mankind. An effort to save the whales benefits us all.”

— Beau Bridges

Oct. 1, 2010 — They bring us their babies. And while that isn’t the only reason to love the California gray whale, it’s a compelling one, isn’t it? Ecotourists lucky enough to visit the Baja, Mexico lagoons during the winter breeding season have experienced firsthand the noble quality of a visitation by a gray whale mother who nudges her newborn calf right up to the observation boats, inviting a back scratch and a hello. But lower and lower numbers of mother-calf pairs have been observed during census surveys taken in Baja’s lagoons, the most important breeding and calving areas for this ancient baleen species. In 2010, only 183 pairs were counted, the lowest number in 15 years, following a decreasing trend in numbers for the past four consecutive years.

Gray whale breaching off the California coast. Photo courtesy of James Dorsey. www.jamesdorsey.com.

Scientists working with the California Gray Whale Coalition believe the gray whale, which is a specialist feeder, may well be the first baleen whale casualty of climate change. Climate warming has caused a massive loss of polar and glacial ice around the world, including the Bering Sea, where the gray whale has fed for thousands of years. The fatty amphipod, the gray whale’s primary prey, needs very cold water to grow, and has been less abundant in recent years. In response to this phenomenon, the gray whale has had to migrate further north in search of food.

The result? “We’re hearing the same story up and down the West Coast,” says Sue Arnold, CEO of the California Gray Whale Coalition. “Declining numbers, very few cows and calves, and at least 10 percent of the population is emaciated.”

In addition to the ultimate threat of a waning food supply, the gray whale faces a wide variety of hazards during its long migration, not the least of which is natural predation by the killer whale. Pretend you’re a whale and consider facing all of the following unnatural threats as you also find it increasingly difficult to obtain your next meal: entanglement in fishing nets and ropes, ocean garbage, boat strikes, sewerage spew and noise pollution emitted from drilling, pipeline and platform construction, military sonar and geological seismic surveys. All of these threats can interfere with the gray whale’s narrow feeding window, when they must store fat for the entire year.

The solution? We are the solution. In honor of World Animal Day on Oct. 4, we can take action and make a difference for the future of the California gray whale, our official state marine mammal:

One of the few calves spotted in San Ignacio Laguna, Baja, in March 2010. Photo courtesy of James Dorsey.

1) Join the California Gray Whale Coalition, at no cost, and sign its online petition to help convince Congress to review all of the major threats facing the gray whale.

2) Become a California Gray Whale Hero and participate in the coalition’s campaign to raise funds. All you have to do is undertake a major physical feat, such as a marathon, a swim or a climb. Send e-mail to robinmankey@yahoo.com for more details.

3) Search Facebook for “California Gray Whale Coalition Group” and mingle with fellow gray whale enthusiasts.

4) Help fund much-needed research by sending donations to the California Gray Whale Coalition either online or at P.O. Box 50939, Palo Alto, CA, 94303.

Whale lovers at San Ignacio Laguna in Baja, playing with a gray whale. Photo courtesy of James Dorsey.

5) Contact politicians, both at the state and federal level, and ask them to relist the eastern North Pacific gray whale — that’s the California gray whale — under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

6) Write to the National Marine and Fisheries Service and request an explanation about what is being done to address the major decline in gray whale cow and calf numbers.

Whether you write a letter, donate to the cause or learn more about what’s going on, you can help ensure that your children will one day have the opportunity to introduce their grandchildren to the California gray whale. Our official California animal, the grizzly, is long gone.

This graph was compiled by the California Gray Whale Coalition from Mexican government data. Used with permission.