Update: Russian gray whale on the move

Meghan scans for gray whales off Narrow Cape during Kodiak's 2009 Whale Fest

It looks like Flex, the wayward Russian western gray whale, successfully crossed both the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska and was recently swimming off the coast of Vancouver Island. A local BC paper reports that although Flex is following a well established eastern gray whale migration route, he is keeping his distance from his eastern Pacific cousins.

Flex is now more or less following the migration route of Eastern Pacific gray whales, but he's aloof, staying farther offshore than they do. The reason for uncertainty about Flex's uniqueness is that researchers have never tracked a Western Pacific gray so extensively.

Flex's speed and determination indicates that he may join other grays at their Mexican breeding grounds. He'd better hurry though, by March most of the single whales will have begun their northward migration to Kodiak and beyond.

Russian gray whale defecting?

Deb and I with Kodiak Gray Whale Project Coordinator Stacy Studebaker

Remember when Sean Connery, playing a Russian nuclear submarine captain in The Hunt for Red October, threatened to defect to the US ? Well, a western gray whale might be doing just that. The whale, originally from a population residing in the waters off the coast of Russia, has been making a beeline for the Alaska coast since October. Oregon State's Marine Mammal Institute is tracking "Flex" the whale:

Flex departed the Kamchatka coast on 3 January. and took one week to cross most of the Bering Sea before arriving at the slope edge of the eastern Bering Sea shelf on 9 January. Since 3 January, he has covered 1,689 km in 238 hours for an average of 7.09 km/hr. Since attaining the slope edge, he has trended to the south, toward the Pribilof islands. During the last several days we have obtained individual transmissions during several orbits, so we know the tag is still attached and functioning, but not enough transmissions to obtain reliable locations. Some of this may be due to regional bad weather.

This great swim is quite remarkable for a western gray - once thought to be extinct - especially considering the difficulty of crossing the Bering during the depths of winter.

Know Your Whales

"These go to eleven"

Meghan and I have reservations this weekend to take a whale-watching tour from Seward, AK. Although we have eight inches of fresh snow on the ground this morning and several more inches in the forecast, we're hoping for clear skies on Saturday when we steam out of Resurrection Bay to catch a glimpse of migrating gray whales on their way to the Bering Sea for the summer. The migration route is long and treacherous. Grays are a common sight from the surf beach in Kodiak, where many stay during the entire summer. At times, one could look out on the horizon and see an uncountable number of the gray's low bushy white spouts.

The gray's route north to the summer

Stinky Whales

The gray whale in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center smells just fine.

According to a report on Alaska Public Radio Russian subsistence hunters living across the dateline from Alaska are finding the meat of several recently harvested gray whales to emit a foul odor. Although the phenomenon has been observed in the past, the number of "stinkies" is increasing. Other marine mammals such as walruses have also been found with smelly meat as well. To biologists it's a mystery, yet perhaps traditional knowledge of indigenous groups may hold the answer.

Whales vs. Cruise Ships

Experts examine a fin whale in Vancouver

Earlier this summer "the Future" featured a report about an oil tanker that struck a humpback whale in Prince William Sound. Well, it seems that another ship has arrived to port with a whale on its prow. The Vancouver Sun reports that a cruise ship hit the carcass of a fin whale and dragged it to Vancouver. Scientists later found that the whale had nothing in its stomach and only a thin layer of blubber suggesting that the whale had suffered an illness. What's interesting about the Sun story is that the article is found in the "Health" section of the paper's online edition beneath headings such as "Family & Child," "Seniors," and "Fitness." I wonder if folks at the Sun have been reading and listening to recent reports in the Times and on Fresh Air about the surprising interactions between whales and humans, including instances where whales have playfully lifted small boats from the water and gently set them back on the surface. The most striking new information about whale behavior and physiology, however, is the recent report that the whale neocortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking, is much larger (by percentage) than the human brain. Perhaps, argues Dr. Lori Morino, the whale neocortex is so highly evolved because during its evolution from a hippopotamus the whale experienced such dramatic changes in its physiology (e.g. losing limbs, moving its nose to the top of its head and developing sonar). No word yet on whether whales have started using Twitter though.

Barrels of Fun

Racecardrivernumerouno inquiring about the sets.

To add to the excitement of Saturday's big event. I received a wetsuit in the mail just in time for a Monday evening session at Pasagshak (apologies to all lifelong surfers for my attempt at spouting the sport's jargon). Racecardriverzeropointfive (an alias) and his lovely life partner That Lady, along with Racecardrivernumerouno and his little brother Stokes swung by to pick me up on the way out the road for looksee at the waves. Collectively known as the Wilcos, the family makes the pilgrimage out to Pasagshak for surfing and beaching quite often. Needless to say I was definitely stoked to catch a ride (in the car).

A NoPac Barrel

The drive to Pasagshak alone is reason enough to make the trip. Along the way beautiful blue bays, lush green mountains and crystal clear streams offer a stunning glimpse at the rest of the island. Mornings and evenings are the most spectactular when the topography shapes shadows that enhance its grandeur.

Almost up...

We arrived at surf beach, just past Pasagshak, to find a few surfers enjoying a bonfire. As we walked to the beach we could see gray whale spouts in water past the breaking waves. Bald eagles and black-legged kittiwakes traversed the sky above. We jumped on to our boards and paddled out to the first break. As we sat waiting for the waves to set up the whales, swimming close, began to surface, jump and spyhop. The waves offered several chances for good rides, but my inexperience showed as I failed to successfully stand and ride a break. In the meantime, Racecardriverzeropointfive caught several waves and rode to shore. Although I didn't quite hang ten, I am determined to get back out to the beach and catch a ride. I would like to thank That Lady for taking pictures and keeping an eye out for sea creatures from shore.

Thar's Flukes!

Mom and Dad are in town visiting for Whale Fest, 2009.

On Sunday we joined members of the Kodiak Audubon for a hike around Narrow Cape. We saw dozens of whales off-shore and managed to avoid any errant missile strikes. Our guide and naturalist, Stacy Studebaker, said that they were gray whales passing through on their migration to the Chukchi and Bering Seas.

Bruce captured some of the action on video while Mom surveilled the horizon for spouts.

Mom was interested in the buffalo wallows.

Mom venturing across the lagoon.

Dad is afraid of heights and didn't get too close to the edge. He was worried that one of the bunkers might fall into the ocean, taking him along for the ride.

The hiking got a little extreme as we scrambled down one of the buffalo routes over a creek bed.

All's well that ends well...on to the next adventure!