Sarah Grimes, Stranding Coordinator for the Noyo Center for Marine Science, has seen her share of whales, both living and deceased. Like most of us, she remembers the first time she saw a whale “blow.”
“I was about ten years old when we moved from Colorado to Elk. I remember the first time I saw that puff out in the ocean. It was in the winter, and it was so astonishing, so amazing that I made a drawing of the water, the green headlands, and that blow.”
What started as a local political protest event initiated by activists, outraged by the mistreatment of one of the earth’s largest, most majestic, and little-understood creatures, has morphed into the Mendocino Coast’s Whale Festival, which encompasses everything from kids’ activities to craft fairs and Margarita-based fundraisers. But at the heart of it all are our mammal brethren, whose hearts are as big as a car and who remain in a precarious state between survival and potential extinction.
For this article, we spoke with Grimes, who provides some pro tips about when and how to view whales, and we’re also highlighting some of the Noyo Center’s lectures and educational events scheduled during this year’s Whale Festival.
“The festival is loosely organized around the time when gray whales are moving up north, but beginning around Martin Luther King Day, we often start seeing whales,” she explains. “Why they move when they move is for reasons of their own. We’re just the observers. From my perspective, when you picture a migrating herd going north to south, it’s time to mate. The population starts moving, and it all happens within about a 10-day period. But whales are constantly changing and adapting. Even the weather has a lot to do with their migration.”
By February, notes Grimes, keen observers may notice whales moving in both directions.
“Some are pregnant females moving north, or there may be boys following a female in estrus. There are even stragglers still moving south. Loosely speaking, from about late November to late April, the majority of gray whales move south in the December-January range, and travel back northward in March-April. But we are very often surprised,” she smiles. “Gray whales are adaptable and changeable. Just as we saw them move heavily into San Francisco Bay, they shift their feeding strategies. They’re mammals. They change it up all the time.”
Grimes notes there are better and best places to view migrating whales. “There are spectacular views from many of our State Parks and townships. The whales are travelling in a fairly straight line down the coast, so visiting the Noyo Headlands, Spring Ranch, Point Arena, or Point Cabrillo- places where the land is sticking farther out into the ocean raises your chances of seeing whales. Laguna Point is great. Go anywhere where there’s a point sticking out into the water. It puts you that much closer to their world.”
Grimes stresses that attending a guided whale tour (which the Noyo Center and MendoParks are hosting in March) increases the likelihood you’ll spot a whale (or 10) and will certainly provide you with a much deeper knowledge about what you’re seeing and why.
“If I were to go to Africa to see leopards, I would definitely want to seek local knowledge. There are so many people who grew up here who have the connection and excitement around whales. Take advantage of our incredible pool of knowledgeable people who can provide you, your family, and your children with an unforgettable Whale Festival experience.”
The Festival is celebrating the gray whale migration, but there are often other whales offshore. “It might take someone with more experience to watch that same blow that you saw, and tell you if it’s a sperm whale, a gray whale, or even a pod of dolphins. In January, we witnessed a big pulse of humpback whales off Point Cabrillo.”
“Gray whales are generally going to be around a mile out- picture that in your mind. When they’re coming back with calves, they assume a lower profile, and they travel closer to shore.”
That plume of white spray isn’t water- it’s the whale’s breath. “Picture yourself breathing out on a cold morning. That same thing- a whale’s condensed breath is what you’re seeing. It’s a really big breath, of course,” she smiles. “Once you locate a whale or a few, there’s usually a bit of a pattern. They’ll blow a few times, then maybe go on a deeper dive where they’ll disappear for 7 or 8 minutes. Once they surface again, you might be able to determine which direction they’re going, but just like us, they can get distracted, turn around, or go in circles.”
Breaching continues to be a mystery. “Sometimes I like to equate it to the same impulse when you see a child jump and hop for no apparent reason. Scientists used to think they were trying to remove barnacles from their skin, but we honestly still don’t know why they breach.”
It almost goes without saying that the calmer the wind, the easier it will be to separate blows from choppy water or whitecaps. The calmer it is, the more the blow “hangs” in the air, often for several seconds. It also goes without saying that even one distracted second checking your latest text may result in missing one of the most incredible natural phenomena of your life. Whale watching is a slowed-down, Zen-like activity, and with a modicum of patience, some basic guidance, and perhaps the aid of a pair of binoculars, even the most pessimistic watcher, if allowed a few minutes to a half-hour, will be rewarded with a memory they will likely never forget.
“I have heard visitors say, ‘All I saw was a breath,’ but that vision stayed with them for the rest of their lives. That first time you see a whale, that tiny little peek often moves people to learn more- to study why this majestic being travels thousands of miles, from Alaska to Baja and back again. Imagine what it has seen along the way, and imagine its ancestors making the same journey for thousands of years. If you see them, feel them, and experience them- and you are moved to help us learn more and protect them, please come to our talks, support the Noyo Center, and take deep pleasure in the fact that we can all take part in the effort to protect these amazing creatures.”
The Noyo Center is deeply involved in youth education. Along with walking tours, bike tours, and other kid-friendly events taking place during the Festival, schools are invited to participate in an educational tour. “Blubber, Baleen, and Bones at the Field Station” takes place March 16-20. The Noyo Center Marine Field Station will host a week of hands-on marine science tours designed for school groups and youth programs. One-and-a-half-hour tours for school groups will be offered 3-4 times daily, beginning at 9:00 AM. Each tour includes a guided visit to the bone room, a blubber-glove activity to explore insulation and adaptation, an interactive whale-migration activity, and short boat rides on the river, weather permitting. Programs will be led by the Noyo Center education team with support from trained volunteers and interns. The cost is $150 per tour, with scholarships available.
“I have been at the Center when students from Inland Mendocino came to the coast for the first time, saw seals and whales for the first time, and put their hands in the ocean for the first time,” says Grimes. “Their joy and awe are hard to describe.”
This year, the Noyo Center is hosting a Whale Festival Speaker Series as part of a Gray Whale Migration Challenge in an effort to raise $12,000. “That’s one dollar for every mile gray whales travel during their annual, round-trip migration,” says Grimes. The funds will support marine science, education, and conservation on the Mendocino Coast.
The four-part Speaker series features researchers and educators who have dedicated their lives to studying gray whales along the Pacific migration route. “You can dip in or go full whale nerd and attend all the talks,” says Grimes. Viewing parties will take place at the Center’s Marine Field Station, and many of the events will be available via Zoom.
The series kickoff is titled “Gray Whales in Baja California” and is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, from 6:00-7:00 PM at the Noyo Field Station or via Zoom. Marine mammal researcher, educator, and whale naturalist Diane Alps has spent seasons in Baja’s coastal lagoons, observing whales during breeding and calving seasons. She is involved in science-based public education through the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, American Cetacean Society, and Cascadia Research Collective. Her talk will focus on the Baja California leg of the gray whale migration, exploring what happens when gray whales arrive in the warm, shallow lagoons of Baja, how these habitats function as breeding and nursery grounds, and why this phase of the migration is critical to aWhales’ life cycle.
“Gray Whales of Southern California” is the title of the second Speaker Series lecture, taking place on March 11 from 6:00-7:00 PM, with the option of attending the live viewing party at the Field Station or joining via Zoom. Alisa Schulman‐Janiger is a marine biologist, whale researcher, and educator who has spent decades studying cetaceans along the California coast. She is the director and coordinator of the American Cetacean Society Los Angeles Chapter Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project, a long-running, shore-based study of gray whale movements and behavior in Southern California that she founded in the 1980’s. Her talk will focus on gray whales in Southern California, sharing insights from decades of research observing their migration, behavior, and trends along the coast.
Award-winning marine photographer and whale researcher Jodi Frediani will be on hand at the Field Station for an “In-Person Science Social and Talk” on Saturday, March 21. The social hour takes place from 5:00-6:00 PM, with the talk and Q&A from 6:00-6:45 PM. The talk will be available via Zoom, and drinks and hearty snacks will be available for purchase. Frediani’s presentation will focus on whales and the rich marine life of our coast. After the talk, stay to meet the author, learn more about whales and conservation, and purchase signed copies of her book, Wild Monterey Bay.
“Get Down with the Local Whales (and the Locals Who Study Them)” is the title of the fourth and final talk of the Migration Challenge. This Community Cetacean Lovers’ Social takes place on March 26 from 5:00-7:00 PM at the Field Station, with hearty snacks and drinks available for purchase. The event will be a celebration of local whales and the locals who study them as gray and humpback whales return from Mexico to cruise along the Mendocino coastline, some with newborn calves in tow. The evening will include informal information sharing with local experts, slide shows, the season’s humpback song, whale-themed activities, food, and drinks.
A $10 donation is requested for each talk. Attendees may register via the Noyo Center website.
Grimes’ personal focus is on the decline of whales and other marine mammals. “When whales wash ashore, they provide an incredible opportunity to learn about them in different ways,” she notes. She encourages an observant public to report “everything,” meaning sightings of live, deceased, or stranded animals. “Take a photo, figure out your location, and make a report. If the animal is alive, report it to the Marine Mammal Center. If it has died, call us.”
“We’re part of the story of protecting these animals. Every year, when I think about the Whale Festival and migration time, I remember that this is our beach, our ocean. We’re all in this together. The ocean, and the Noyo Center belongs to all of us,” she concludes.
For information on the complete schedule of the Noyo Center’s Whale Festival events, visit www.noyocenter.org. To report the sighting of a live animal, call the Marine Mammal Center at (415) 289-7325 (SEAL). Keep your distance, provide a replicable location, and report any physical characteristics of the animal.
To report deceased animals within Mendocino County, phone (707) 813-7925.
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