San Diego Natural History
Museum Whalers
Museum Whalers Handbook
jmorris
Revised 2016 by Uli Burgin
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SECTION 1: VOLUNTEER BASICS
1
SECTION 2: MARINE MAMMALS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS
5
SECTION 3: INTRODUCTION TO CETACEANS
10
INTRODUCTION TO THE GRAY WHALE
15
SECTION 5: RORQUALS
23
SECTION 6: ODONTOCETES (TOOTHED WHALES)
31
SECTION 7: PINNIPEDS—SEA LIONS AND SEALS
41
SECTION 8: OTHER MARINE LIFE YOU MAY SEE
45
SECTION 9: BIRDING ON THE HORNBLOWER
49
SECTION 10: SAN DIEGO BAY
55
SECTION 11: DOING THE PRESENTATION
63
SECTION 12: FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
69
SECTION 13: VOLGISTICS AND SIGHTINGS LOG
75
SECTION 14: ON BOARD THE HORNBLOWER, CRUISE INFO AND MORE
79
SECTION 15: REFERENCES
83
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Section 1: Volunteer Basics
Welcome!
We are pleased to have you as a volunteer Museum
Whaler for the San Diego Natural History Museum. As a
Museum Whaler you are carrying on a long tradition of
whale watching here in southern California. Our first trips
were offered to the public in 1957. These trips were led
by pioneer whale watching naturalist Ray Gilmore, an
employee of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and a
research associate of the San Diego Natural History
Museum. Ray’s whale-watching trips became well known
over the years and integrated science and education with
a lot of fun. We are sure that Ray would be very pleased
with the San Diego Natural History Museum’s continued
involvement in offering fun and educational whale
watching experiences to the public through our
connection with Hornblower Cruises and Events. This is
also a great opportunity to connect the public with the
San Diego Natural History Museum.
The Whaler training program consists of course readings
from this manual, guest lectures, sample presentations
and a lot of in-class practice delivering presentations. Our
most experienced Whalers teach several course sections, while local experts that do research on
or work closely with marine mammals and birds, present other sections. There will be a short
mid-term and final examination to assess your understanding of the information contained
within these pages.
This manual provides much of the information on the marine life you will see. It also provides
information on your responsibilities as a naturalist on the Hornblower Whale and Dolphin
Watching adventure cruises. We hope you will enjoy your experience and help impart
enthusiasm and knowledge about California’s marine life.
Your Role and Responsibilities as a Museum Whaler
The primary responsibility of a Museum Whaler is to provide natural history information about
the marine life sighted during the trip, especially the Eastern Pacific gray whale. The crew is
responsible for all aspects of the vessel’s operation, including passenger safety. Please follow
the instructions of the captain and the first mate at all times.
In addition to providing information to visitors, remember that you will be working with other
volunteers, so it is important to be a responsible and supportive co-worker. Arriving on time and
taking equal responsibility for working the line, engaging visitors, setting up materials and giving
presentations at the end of the cruise will ensure that you and your fellow volunteers have an
enjoyable time. We will go into more detail as the course proceeds, but while on duty you
should remember to:
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Arrive early and get your boarding pass (booth opens at 8:30 am)
Work the line
Get on board as soon as possible
Meet in the A/V room to get organized as a group
Mingle with the passengers
Waiting in Line to Board
A large part of being a Whaler involves connecting with the passengers and providing
information on gray whale migration as they wait in line. We call this “working the line.” Arrive
at least 30 minutes before the cruise leaves. While passengers are waiting in line to board, use
your whale information cards and gray whale migration map to educate.
Once on board
Once you board, head to the designated A/V
room where you will find the museum
supplies that include:
 Blue box
 Photos, books, etc.
 Logbook – please sign in
 Whale models and other supplies
While the passengers are boarding and the
boat is cruising through the harbor and San
Diego Bay, mingle with the passengers and
introduce yourselves. Please DO NOT talk
while the captain or first mate is talking. This is
especially important during the talk on boat safety. Instead, follow their lead and point out sites
or show pictures or visual aids that support their narration.
At the beginning of the cruise, one of the Whalers should provide the names of the Whalers on
board to the captain so that he can introduce you by name.
During the Cruise
During the cruise the Whaler’s role is to assist the crew in locating the whales and engaging the
passengers in conversation about what they are seeing. Point out birds, fish, dolphins, jellies,
sea lions, and any other marine life you see. You will be learning about these animals so that you
can help identify and have a couple of interesting stories to share.
Keep in mind that you are sharing interpretive duties, so you do not need to say everything
yourself. Don’t worry about repeating information that the captain or first mate has already
covered. Just add something new. Please refer to the materials you received during your
training session for specific details.
In the Wheelhouse
The wheelhouse is the captain’s territory and new federal regulations do not allow uncertified
personnel access without the captain’s explicit permission. You are allowed in the wheelhouse
to retrieve or return the museum specimens (biofacts) found in the black box.
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Generally speaking, the captain and/or first mate will provide the narration during the cruise
through the San Diego Bay, indicating points of interest along the way. Some captains are open
to having a Whaler provide some narration so if you feel comfortable on the PA, please ask the
captain if you can talk.
On the Way Back
The museum provides several teaching specimens (biofacts) to assist in interpretation. These
specimens are used during the cruise as we return to port. In general, please retrieve the
biofacts when the boat reaches buoy #1 and return them when the boat reaches the bait dock.
The timing may change based on sea conditions, so please be flexible.
Participating in Giving Presentations
All Whalers are expected to participate in giving presentations. Generally, presentations are
given on the lower level towards the bow. At times, seas are rough and passengers may be sick
where presentations are normally given. It is important to be flexible.
Please keep control of the biofacts at all times. It is okay to let passengers carefully touch the
baleen and the vertebrae, but remind them to be gentle and use only a 2 finger touch. And
please use the microphone. If you are soft spoken, passengers cannot necessarily hear you.
The Whalers are responsible for giving presentations on:
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Gray whale migration (mostly while working the line)
Barnacles and whale lice
Baleen and gray whale feeding behavior
Lumbar vertebrae and their role in muscle attachment
San Diego Natural History Museum exhibits of interest
If no Whales are seen, the dolphin skull model can be used to talk about dolphins
The following biofacts are available for your use during the formal presentation:
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Gray whale skin with an adult barnacle (preserved in resin)
Gray whale lice (preserved in resin)
Gray whale lumbar vertebrae (juvenile and calf)
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Cast of human lumbar vertebra for comparison
Section of gray whale baleen (approximately 15 individual plates)
Amphipods (preserved in resin) are an example of the family, not the specific species
that are the main food source for the Eastern Pacific Gray whale
Common dolphin skull model
Being a Responsible Volunteer
There are four things you absolutely must do to participate as a Museum Whaler:
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Always sign up for the cruise well in advance by adding your name to the Volgistics
calendar.
If you are unable to make the cruise, please remove your name from the calendar as
soon as possible, but no less than 5 days in advance. This gives other Whalers an
opportunity to sign up for that cruise.
Notify the director of volunteer/intern services ([email protected]) of the changes to
your contact information.
Always log your hours in Volgistics.
If You Can’t Meet Your Commitment
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First check the calendar and see how many other volunteers are signed up; if you are
the only one, find a substitute. If there are others, please notify at least one of the other
volunteers that you will not be on board. Remember, you work as a team. Be
considerate of your teammates!
Last minute changes sometimes happen, we understand, but we encourage you to solve
scheduling problems ahead of time.
We send a schedule to the Hornblower every Thursday night so if you are signed up,
they are expecting you.
If you have an emergency the day you are scheduled to work, please notify one of the
other Whalers signed up for the cruise; unfortunately, the ticket booth does not pass
along messages. Notifying the director of volunteer/intern services does not meet your
obligation of notification; emails are missed, phone calls are better.
Passenger Safety is the Hornblower Crew’s Responsibility
The San Diego Natural History Museum is not liable for passengers. The Hornblower crew is
responsible for onboard safety. If a passenger comes to you with injury, seasickness or any other
safety concern, please direct them to the captain or a crewmember. The captain will make
announcements at the beginning of the cruise about safety, first aid, and the location of all life
jackets. If you have any concerns about a passenger, please find a crewmember or talk to the
captain. DO NOT give the passengers anything—not even a sick bag. You’ll regret it. The sick
passenger will expect you to help them for the rest of cruise.
If there is any emergency while onboard, the crew will consider you passengers. You are not
there to help them. Please do not interfere; follow their directions.
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Section 2: Marine Mammals and their Adaptations
Members of three groups or orders of mammals evolved independently for life in the ocean.
ORDER
CETACEANS (Cetacea) whales, dolphins and porpoises
ORDER
SIRENIANS (Sirenia) manatees and dugongs, or sea cows
(not in our region)
ORDER
CARNIVORES (Carnivora, Cats, dogs, bears, weasels etc.)
Suborder: PINNIPEDS (Pinnipedia), sea lions, true seals and walrus
Suborder: FISSIPEDIA, includes all land-living carnivores, plus:
Sea Otter (no longer in our region) and Polar Bear
General Remarks
Examples of other mammal orders are rodents (rats and mice), rabbits and hares, monkeys and
apes, even-toed ungulates (deer, antelopes, camels, goats) or odd-toed ungulates (rhino, horse,
wild ass and donkey).
All mammals, including marine
mammals, are warm-blooded, have
(or have traces of) hair or fur,
breathe air through lungs, bear live
young, and nurse their young with
milk produced by mammary glands.
Whales and dolphins, manatees and
dugongs and sea otters live their
entire lives in the water, whereas
sea lions, true seals, the walrus
(Pinnipeds) and the polar bear are
semi-aquatic, spending part of their time feeding in the ocean and part of the time on land to
mate, breed and molt.
Doing research on animals that spend their entire life in the ocean environment, especially the
large whales, is much more challenging than studying land mammals. Scientific understanding of
whales has come in two distinct phases: first from the results of more than half a century of
whaling—information pieced together from the examination of thousands of dead animals from
whaling operations—and second from over 40 years of field studies of living whales in their
natural habitat, which started in the late 60s.
You will hear about these studies and the various techniques used from our special guest
speakers:
 Photo identification of individuals
 Short- and long-term surveys from land, boats and airplanes
 Research on migration and behavior with satellite tags and other high-tech tags
attached to whales
 Hydrophones used for sound recordings
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Study of genetics through biopsies
These methods and new research tools have provided a wealth of insights into the nature of
living whales, but scientists are always cautious in the interpretation of their findings. Basic
questions like “Why do whales breach?” or “Do whale lice help gray whales?” still do not have a
definite answer, and new discoveries are being made all the time. Please keep this in mind as
you read these pages and talk to passengers on the boat.
Marine Mammal Adaptations
While cetaceans, sirenians and pinnipeds have different evolutionary origins, they have evolved
similar physical and physiological adaptations to life in the ocean. All have a streamlined body,
well-developed paddle-shaped limbs, and the ability to dive underwater for extended periods of
time. Physiologically, marine mammals differ from land mammals in that they can conserve
oxygen and withstand increased water pressure during a deep dive. But like all mammals, they
must breathe air.
Swimming Adaptations
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Fusiform or streamlined shape reduces drag, which decreases energy consumption
Hair/fur reduction in cetaceans and sirenians reduces frictional resistance, making
swimming long distances more efficient
Limb Modification
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In pinnipeds the front and hind limbs have been modified into fin-like structures
(flippers)
In cetaceans and sirenians the hind limbs are absent; there is only a small vestigial (no
longer functional) pelvis bone, and their tails are modified into flukes for propulsion
The forelimbs, modified into flippers, function to stabilize the body and aid in turns; only
humpbacks use their extremely long flippers for swimming
Thermoregulation
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Blubber serves as insulation (as well as energy storage and “dampening” for
streamlining)
Thick layer of fur in pinnipeds and sea otters provides insulation
Blood vessels in flippers and the tongue of gray whales feeding in ice cold water are
arranged as “counter current heat exchange system,” where cold blood returning from
the extremities absorbs heat of warm blood coming from the body core, to reduce heat
loss
On occasion we see “rafts” of sea lions with their pectoral flippers extended out of the
water to regulate their body temperature
Diving Physiology
Marine mammals excel in their adaptability to rapid changes of external conditions, such as
when they move from the water surface to depths of several 100’ to several 1,000’ below, and
back up again. During a dive they have to deal with a lack of oxygen and increased water
pressure. This “Dive Response” is accomplished in several ways:
 More oxygen is stored in the blood and tissues than in land mammals. An elephant seal,
one of the “champion divers,” has three times the blood volume of a human; 1.5 times
the hemoglobin concentration, and 10 times as much myoglobin. Hemoglobin is the
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protein in red blood cells, which transports oxygen. Myoglobin is a similar protein
storing oxygen in muscles.
Oxygen is NOT stored in the lungs, which collapse during deep dives. Residual air is
pushed into the reinforced upper airway spaces, and there is no gas exchange in the
lungs. This prevents the formation of nitrogen bubbles (the “bends”) when ascending.
Oxygen is conserved during a dive. The heart rate is slowed down, blood vessels are
constricted and blood is directed only to the heart and brain, bypassing the digestive
organs and muscles. How does the animal keep functioning? Muscles (needed for
swimming) have their own oxygen supply in myoglobin. The elevated concentration of
this protein is the most consistent hallmark of all deep divers.
The shutdown of digestive functions during a dive is compensated by higher than
normal performance during breathing intervals at the surface.
When the oxygen supply is exhausted, muscle cells can still function by anaerobic
respiration (“anaerobic” = without oxygen), producing lactate instead of CO2 as the end
product. This process creates an “oxygen debt,” because the lactate has to be removed
by using more oxygen when the animal comes back to the surface to breathe.
Senses
Vision
The vision of marine mammals has a number of specific features which allow them to function in
both water and air.
Cetaceans
Observations of dolphins in captivity, who catch fish, perform precisely aimed jumps to reach
targets, and recognize their trainers have shown that their vision above water (where
echolocation does not work) is well developed.
Based on anatomical comparisons of eye structures, it is assumed that baleen whales have
visual acuity comparable to that of dolphins, although they are said to be near-sighted above
water.
Cetaceans, who spend most of their time under water, have to adapt not only to low visibility,
but also to possible eye damage from the high density of water or suspended particles, and cold
temperatures.
In order to adjust to the optical properties of water, eye anatomy in Cetaceans is markedly
different from that in land mammals:
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In land mammals the eyeball is almost spherical, the lens is flattened.
In Cetaceans the anterior part of the eyeball is flattened, the lens is spherical. This
optical system compensates for the refraction of light in water, and is, not surprisingly,
similar to that of fish.
Like some nocturnal land mammals (cats, raccoons, foxes), Cetaceans have a tapetum
lucidum, a tissue layer behind the retina, which reflects light back through the retina,
increasing the light available to photoreceptors.
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The retina contains mostly rods, cells that gather low intensity light. Cone cells, responsible for
color vision, exist too, but there is no behavioral evidence that Cetaceans can discriminate
colors.
Cetaceans have no tear glands, however glands in the eyelids regularly bathe the cornea in an
oily substance to protect it from the contact with seawater.
Pinnipeds
Pinniped’s eyes are large, and share some features with Cetaceans, like a spherical lens.
Because Pinnipeds spend considerable time on land and in the water, their eyes have some
unique characteristics that help them function in both environments:
 In some species, pupil size can change over a very wide range, adapting to high and low
light conditions
 The tapetum lucidum, which reflects light back through the retina, increasing vision in
low light, is one of the best developed among both terrestrial and aquatic animals.
 A special construction of the cornea in many species allows visual acuity to remain equal
in both water and air.
Hearing
Unlike light, sound is transmitted well under water and travels almost four times faster than in
air. It is therefore used for communication by all Cetaceans, and hearing is their dominant sense.
Since there are major differences between Mysticetes and Odontocetes, they will be treated
separately here.
Mysticetes
Mysticetes produce very low frequency sounds from 10–15 Hz to 5 kHz, and they can
communicate with each other for tens, even hundreds of kilometers, so they must be able to
hear these sounds.
However, since Mysticetes lack ear pinnae (outer ears), and the auditory canals are narrow and
hardly functional, the mechanism of sound transmission to the inner ear is not clear, nor is it
known how Mysticetes produce their sounds.
Odontocetes and Echolocation
Because of their unique ability to use echolocation (a kind of highly sophisticated sonar) to
orient themselves, the auditory system of Odontocetes has been studied extensively.
Odontocetes or toothed whales (sperm, beluga, beaked, pilot whales, and all dolphins) produce
high frequency sound waves called “clicks” (up to 120 kHz), which bounce off objects in the
water and return as echoes to the animal which made the clicks, giving it information about its
surroundings.
Clicks are produced by “sonic lips” (formerly called “monkey lips”) in the nasal complex. The
clicks are focused and sent out through the melon, a fatty tissue in the rounded part of the
head. The returning echoes—and sound waves in general—enter through the lower jaw and are
transmitted through a fat-filled canal to the middle ear.
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Toothed whales have directional hearing, their echolocation sense is closely integrated with
their visual sense, and their auditory nervous system has an extremely rapid response.
The very highly developed echolocation capabilities of deep diving whales like sperm and
beaked whales makes it possible for these species to orient themselves at great depths in
complete darkness.
In addition to echolocation clicks, some Odontocete species also produce “burst pulses” and
“whistles,” signals used for communication. A special form of whistles are the “signature
whistles” used by bottlenose dolphins (and maybe others?), which convey individual identity,
analogous to a “name.” Calves learn their whistle in their first few months, and retain it
throughout their lives.
Pinnipeds
Eared seals (sea lions and fur seals) have ear pinnae (outer ears), whereas true seals and the
walrus do not. On land, Pinnipeds use the normal land mammal hearing mechanism. For hearing
under water no special mechanism is known, but it is supposed that they rely on bone
conduction of sound.
Smell and Taste
Sharks have an exceptionally keen sense of smell for certain substances, like blood, which shows
that the sense of smell can be very important under water.
In Cetaceans, however, whose blowholes close tightly as they submerge (and stay closed until
they resurface), the advantage of a well-developed sense of smell seems limited. Even though
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some of the anatomical features for both smell and taste exist in some of the species (like
olfactory bulb, taste buds), little evidence of their function has been found.
Pinnipeds, on the other hand, have a well-developed sense of smell, (remember, they are
members of the order Carnivores!) and probably also of taste.
Touch
Cetaceans have sensitive skin, and it is likely that in those species that have bristles on their
faces, deflection of these hairs informs the animal about disturbances in the water.
In Pinnipeds the sense of touch is highly developed. Their vibrissae have a more complex
structure than that of land mammals. They let them identify objects by touching them with their
whiskers, and sense water currents created by fish swimming nearby. Blind pinnipeds have been
found, who were healthy and well fed.
Main Adaptations to Life in the Marine Enviornment
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
WATER VS. AIR
High heat capacity of water means
colder environment
ADAPTATIONS
Insulation: blubber, fur, large body size
High density and viscosity—more
energy needed to move
Streamlined body shape reduces drag
High water pressure
Special diving adaptations, e.g.
collapsible lungs
Cetaceans: hearing is dominant sense
Odontocetes: echolocation
Pinnipeds: tactile sense highly developed
(vibrissae)
All: Special eye adaptations
All Cetaceans: sound production for
communication
Odontocetes: echolocation
Visibility low, decreasing with greater
depth
Sound travels much faster and farther
underwater
DANGER: man made loud noises
interfere with marine mammal’s
communication & orientation
Section 3: Introduction to Cetaceans
General Remarks
In scientific classification, whales, dolphins, and a third, lesser known group, the porpoises,
make up the order of Cetaceans (from the Latin word “cetus,” a large sea animal).
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The order of Cetaceans is divided into two suborders, baleen whales (Mysticeti or Mysticetes)
and toothed whales (Odontoceti, or Odontocetes). The two groups are distinguished by two
main characteristics: baleen whales have baleen and a double blowhole (nostril), while toothed
whales have teeth and a single blowhole.
In all baleen whales females are about 5% larger than males. In toothed whales it is the
opposite: males are larger than females in all except the porpoises and river dolphins.
Baleen whales include most of the larger whales (blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales,
Minke whales, gray whales, right whales). Instead of teeth, they have baleen plates hanging
down from their elongated upper jaws. These plates form an elaborate filtering system, which
allows the baleen whales to take advantage of the most abundant food source in the ocean:
small schooling fish, krill, and even smaller zooplankton.
Toothed whales include the sperm whale, beluga and narwhal, beaked whales, all of the
dolphins (including the orca or killer whale), and porpoises. They feed mostly on squid and fish,
one piece of prey at a time. Some species also feed on crustaceans and Orcas feed on marine
mammals.
Suborder Mysticeti, Baleen Whales
Classification
Family Balaenidae: Bowhead whale, Northern and Southern Right whales
Family Eschrichtiidae: Gray Whale, only member in this family
Family Balaenopteridae: the Rorquals (Blue, Fin, Minke, Humpback Sei and Bryde’s whales)
Family Neobalaenidae: Pigmy Right whale, in southern hemisphere only
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Minke whale
Humpback whale
Blue whale
Gray whale
Fin whale
Size comparison of the mysticetes in our area. The gray whale averages 45 feet
long. Unlike the other whales in this picture, the gray whale is not a rorqual.
Evolution
According to the fossil record, baleen whales evolved from early forms of whales with teeth, via
transitional stages that had both teeth and baleen, to the ancestors of modern Mysticetes with
baleen only.
Even in modern baleen whales there are tooth buds in the embryonic stage, which are
reabsorbed before birth.
Baleen
Filter feeding, using baleen, is an adaptation that allows
these whales to take in large quantities of water or
sediment containing high concentrations of very small prey
organisms in one mouthful.
Baleen is a strong, yet flexible material made out of keratin,
the same as hair and fingernails. A whale’s baleen consists
of several hundred individual plates that hang down from
the upper jaw in two racks, like vertical blinds, one on each
side of the mouth. The inner surface of the baleen features
a dense fringed, broom-like mat, which retains the food
organisms, while allowing the water to flow out of the
mouth through the spaces between plates.
In the days of commercial whaling, baleen, called “whale
bone” by the Whalers, was one of the main products
harvested from whales, besides blubber. Baleen was used
for corset stays, umbrella frames, buggie whips, and many
other items now made of plastic.
The name of the suborder Mysticeti comes from the Greek word for moustache.
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Feeding Strategies
Baleen whales have evolved three types of filter feeding strategies. Their body shape reflects
these different strategies:
Skimming: Right and Bowhead Whales
These whales’ heads have a strongly arched rostrum and very long, fine-textured baleen—no
throat grooves. They feed by swimming slowly (2–6 mph) with their jaws held open through
concentrations of crustaceans at the surface and deeper in the water column, straining the soup
of plankton.
Lunging or Gulping: Rorquals
One of the rorqual’s most remarkable adaptations for feeding is the presence of 70–80 throat
grooves. Their feeding mechanism has been described as the largest biomechanical event that
has existed on earth. With their streamlined bodies rorquals are able to swim into a ball of krill
or school of fish at great speed to take in huge quantities of water and prey in one big gulp.
During gulping, their throat grooves open like pleats, accordion-style, allowing the mouth cavity
to expand four times in circumference, filling it with a volume of water equivalent to 70% of
their body weight.
Rorqual baleen is relatively short, and ranges from fine to medium texture.
Bottom Feeding: Gray Whales
Gray whales’ heads are straight and relatively short, with only 3–5 throat grooves and short,
coarse baleen. In their arctic feeding grounds, gray whales dive to the shallow sea floor, roll to
one side and suck in sediment and benthic invertebrates, with some distention of their throat
grooves. Water and mud are expelled through the side of the mouth, while food items, mostly
crustaceans (amphipods) and tube worms are retained on the baleen to be swallowed.
Most gray whales (and many rorquals too) exhibit a strong right side preference while filter
feeding. This preference in gray whales results in shorter baleen and fewer barnacles on the
right side.
The benthic foraging behavior of gray whales creates large pits the size of a small car in the sea
floor, a disturbance which is an important factor in the ecology of soft bottom benthic
communities. It has been compared to ploughing the ocean floor.
During migration, some gray whales have been observed to also use the other feeding
strategies, skim or even lunge feeding on small fish or plankton.
In all Mysticetes the large, muscular, very flexible tongue plays an important role in creating
suction, forcing water out through the baleen, and brushing prey items off the baleen mat for
swallowing.
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Section 4: Introduction to the Gray Whale
Migration
The only member of the family Eschrichtiidae, the gray whale is a “coastal” whale and
undertakes one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling 5–6000 miles one way along
the North American Pacific Coast from the arctic summer feeding grounds in the Bering and
Chukchi Sea to the warm waters of the lagoons in Baja California, Mexico. In the lagoons they
give birth and mate. Swimming at a speed of 3–4 mph, it takes the whales 2–2 ½ months to
make the trip. With changing ice conditions, gray whales have been found feeding farther north,
which can increase the length of their migration. Only humpback whales make migrations of
similar length.
The first whales usually arrive in the San Diego area in mid-December. January marks the peak
of whales passing by San Diego. February is the turnaround point, when the first whales are
heading north, and the last ones still coming south. In March many more whales can be
observed on their return trip, taking a different route much farther offshore at the “9-mile
bank,” where ocean depth changes abruptly from a few hundred to as much as 3,000’.
Frequently visible from shore during the southbound migration, gray whales provide a unique
opportunity for land and boat observation, and commercial whale watching has become a major
industry along its migration route. Visitors to the calving and breeding lagoons sometimes
encounter the phenomenon of the “friendlies,” gray whales that closely approach small boats
and allow themselves be touched by humans. Ray Gilmore, Research Associate at the San Diego
Natural History Museum, started some of the first whale watching excursions in 1957 and
became an expert on the species.
Description
Gray whales have a streamlined body, with a narrow, tapered head. The upper jaw is arched in
profile, and slightly overlaps the lower jaw. The rostrum (upper jaw) is dimpled and each of the
little depressions contains one stiff hair. About 2/3 of the way back on its body is a prominent
dorsal hump followed by a series of 6–12 knuckles along the dorsal ridge that extend to the
flukes (tail lobes). The flippers are paddle-shaped and pointed at the tips. Barnacles and whale
lice cover various places on the body, especially on the head, giving the gray whale its mottled
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appearance. Adult males measure 45–46 feet and adult females slightly more. Both sexes weigh
30–40 tons.
Similar Species
Humpback whale
Sperm whale
North Pacific right whale
Bowhead whale
Behavior
Gray whales are typical of the mysticetes in that they do not form lasting family associations.
They frequently travel alone or in small groups, although large aggregations can occur on both
breeding and feeding grounds. Occasional
associations along the migratory route are
considered to be “like people crossing the street
at a traffic light,” without a persistent pattern of
belonging together.
The gray whale’s blow can be either columnar or,
when seen from the front or back,
characteristically heart-shaped.
A gray whale that has come to the surface will
typically go for a series of short, shallow dives at
intervals of 20–30 seconds, surfacing and
spouting after each dive, a behavior called
Photo Courtesy of Leslie Rapp
“snorkeling.” When the whale arches its back, showing
its knuckles, observers know it will go for a deeper dive, called “sounding,” often raising its fluke.
This (the photo moment!) means that the whale will stay down longer, anywhere from 3–8
minutes. Under good conditions “fluke prints” can be seen on the water surface where the
whale went by, a row of 3–4 large slick circular patches created by the motion of the fluke under
water.
Breaching is relatively common in this species, and they also regularly spyhop (raise their head
out of the water), but the function of both these behaviors is unclear.
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Like all cetaceans so far examined, gray whales do “sleep,”
but only with one half of their brain (“uni-hemispheric slowwave sleep”). This facilitates continuous swimming motions,
voluntary breathing, and awareness of their surroundings.
Food and Foraging
Gray whales have a unique feeding pattern. They feed on
small crustaceans such as amphipods and also tube worms
found in bottom sediments. They dive to the bottom of the
ocean, turn on their side (mostly their right side) and scoop
large amounts of sediment from the ocean floor. As a whale
closes its mouth, water, and sediments are expelled
through the baleen plates, which trap the food items on the
Photo courtesy of Joe McKenna
inside and are then swiped by the tongue to be swallowed.
Gray whales feed mainly in the cold arctic waters during the summer. Adult males and adult
pregnant or lactating females rarely eat on their journey to and from the lagoons of Baja, since
their preferred diet is not available in warmer waters. Reports of apparent feeding behavior in
winter lagoons are fragmentary, often anecdotal and sometimes contradictory.
However juveniles and sub-adults, who often do not make the
entire migration, seem to forage almost anywhere in the
migratory range. Some whales have even been observed (through
acoustic signals) to spend the winter near Barrow, Alaska. A small
group of a few hundred whales called the “Pacific Coast Feeding
Amphipod
Group” are residents, some year-round in near-shore areas from Northern
California to British Columbia, where they feed on tube worms living in the sediment and crab
larvae and mysids that swarm just above the sea floor.
Reproduction
Mating and calving occur primarily in the lagoons in Baja California, Mexico, although both have
been observed during migration. Gestation is estimated to last 12–13 months. Pregnant females
are the first to arrive at the lagoons, and the last to leave, giving their calves a chance to grow
before the long trip up north. Mothers nurse their calves for 6–7 months with milk that is almost
50% fat (cow’s milk is 4% fat), while living off the fat reserves in their blubber. Females bear a
single calf at intervals of 2–3 years.
Courtship and mating are complex and not well understood. Groups of a single female and
multiple males are often observed.
On their journey north, gray whale calves are at high risk of predation by mammal-eating killer
whales, first in Monterey Bay, and then again farther north, as they enter the Bering Sea. Gray
whale mothers keep their calves close to shore and in kelp beds wherever possible to elude the
predators, and they defend them aggressively, often with success. Still, there is evidence that
killer whales are responsible for removing as much as a third of the annual calf production.
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Status and Conservation
Today two distinct populations of gray whales exist in the eastern and western North Pacific.
The western Pacific population numbers is as few as 150 individuals, while those on the eastern
side are estimated at 20,000 individuals. Both populations were heavily exploited during the 19th
and beginning of the 20th century. The eastern population has been called a “model of stock
recovery.” Thanks to limited protection given the whales in 1946 with the establishment of the
International Whaling Commission (“for the orderly development of the whaling industry”), and
especially the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act in 1972 and 1973
respectively, the population grew back from an extreme low in 1870 of maybe 4,000 whales to
18,000, and was removed from the Endangered Species Act in 1994.
The Western Pacific Gray Whale, however is one of the most critically endangered whale stocks
in the world, having been hunted commercially by Korea as late as 1966. Surviving animals
continue to be threatened by entanglement in fishing gear, oil and gas exploration on their
feeding grounds off Sakhalin Island, and even occasional exploitation by Japanese fishermen. It
is not known where their calving grounds are.
Recently NOAA researchers tracked some individuals from the western Pacific stock to the
lagoons of Baja, an amazingly long migration. It is not clear if there is interbreeding between the
two stocks.
A third, North Atlantic population of gray whales appears to have been in existence as recently
as the 17th century. Whether early, unrecorded coastal whaling was wholly responsible for, or
merely hastened the extinction of an already declining population, remains unknown.
History of the Eastern Pacific Gray Whale Population
1855
Charles Scammon discovers Mexican lagoon, “Ojo de Liebre,” where gray whales spend
the winter and give birth. Heavy hunting of whales, including mothers with calves, in all
four Mexican breeding lagoons.
1870
Gray Whale population down to about 4,000; hunting is no longer profitable. Population
recovers somewhat.
1914
Norwegian factory ships resume hunting in Magdalena.
1937
International treaty for protection of whales, but hunt continues by Norway, Russia,
Japan and America.
1946
International Whaling Commission (IWC) established, “for the orderly development of
the whaling industry.” Sightings from Scripps by Carl Hubbs.
1972
Marine Mammal Protection Act gives the gray whale protection.
1973
Endangered Species Act, gray whale declared an endangered species.
1994
Removed from Endangered Species List. Population estimated at 18,000.
2014
Estimate is 20,000, according the NOAA research studies.
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Whale “Numbers” to Remember
Please remember when conveying the below information, use ranges of numbers not absolutes.
There are always individual variations just like in humans. Different sources can quote different
numbers so be aware that science is always learning and older sources may be out of date.
Adult Gray Whale
 Length: 45-46 ft.
 Weight: 30-40 tons
 Width of fluke: 10-12 ft.
Gray Whale Calf
 Length: ~15 ft.
 Weight: 1,100-1,500 pounds
Migration
 Impacted by weather conditions; therefore, these figures are averages
 5,000–6,000 miles one way, 10,000—12,000 miles round trip (changes in ice melt may
increase length of migration as whales feed farther north)
 Cruising speed: 3–4 knots (1 knot=1.15 miles per hour)
 Distance traveled per day: 80–100 miles
 Duration of trip, one way: 2–2½ months
Reproduction
 Sexual maturity reached at 5–11 years; males when they are just over 36 ft. long;
females when they are around 38 ft. long
 Gestation: 12–13.5 months
 1 calf every 2–3 years
 Milk contains approximately 50% fat, and calves drinks approximately 50 gallons a day
 Nurses for 9 months; weight almost doubles and grows to about 23 ft. long during that
time
Diving and Feeding
 Typical dive depths up to 200
ft.
 Average dive lasts 5 minutes;
maximum 20 minutes
 Blow (spout) after dive is 15 ft.
high; 100 gallons of moist air
 Baleen used in feeding
process; 130–180 plates on
each side; 10 inches long
 Feeding grounds, Bering Sea:
165 ft. deep, Chukchi Sea: 225
Photo Courtesy of Diane Cullins
ft. deep
 Amount of food consumed while in the feeding
grounds: 2000–4000 lbs. per day depending on the weight of the whale. (Whales
consume about 6% of their body weight a day.)
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Age
Estimated at 60–70 years
Estimated Population
20,990—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stock estimate for 2015)
Barnacles and Whale Lice
The skin of gray whales is host to two types of large and numerous “traveling companions” or
“hitchhikers”: one species of barnacle and three or four species of whale lice, both members of
the subphylum Crustacea.
Barnacles are unique among Crustaceans (a group including shrimp, lobsters, crabs) in being
permanently attached as adults on a variety of solid objects—rocks, boats, wharf pilings, sea
shells—and several species of slow-swimming whales, in particular right whales, humpback
whales, and gray whales.
The barnacle found on gray whales,
Cryptolepas rhachianecti, is host-specific,
that is, it is only found on the gray whale.
Gray whales have the distinction of carrying
the most barnacles of any baleen whale.
Figures given vary from 100–200 lbs.
The barnacle’s life cycle generally includes
six free-swimming planktonic stages (called
Nauplius) that feed while progressing by
molts to the Cypris stage, which stops
feeding and searches for a place to settle.
The Cypris anchors itself by secreting a
cement from glands in its antennae, and
metamorphoses into a juvenile barnacle, secreting the calcareous plates that constitute its
home.
The 19th century naturalist Louis Agassiz described barnacles as “a little shrimp-like animal,
standing on its head in a lime-stone house, kicking food into its mouth.” Through an opening in
the center of the barnacle, six pairs of feathery legs emerge to sweep through the water like a
net, catching small planktonic organisms. Barnacles orient themselves so that their filtering
baskets face the flow of water over the whale’s body.
Most barnacles are hermaphrodites (producing both eggs and sperm). The gray whale barnacles’
breeding season is synchronous with that of the gray whales’ breeding season in the lagoons.
Warm water and a high density of potential hosts gives the barnacle larvae a better chance of
survival.
Whale Lice (singular: a louse) are also Crustaceans, not insects like the lice we are familiar with,
and they are in the same taxonomic group, Amphipoda, that also includes the “amphipods,”
which are the main prey of gray whales.
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Whale lice are much more widely distributed among whales of different species, and even
dolphins, than barnacles. Most belong to the genus Cyamus, and some are host-specific (they
occur only on one species).
Gray whales are host to three or four different species of whale lice. Two of these, Cyamus
scammoni, the largest and most abundant, and Cyamus kessleri are specific to the gray whale.
Unlike barnacles, who have free-swimming larval stages, but as adults remain permanently
attached to their substrate (the whale), whale lice spend their entire life on their host, but can
move around. Sharp hooks on their legs assure them a firm grip on the whale’s skin. They
aggregate in areas of reduced water flow, such as the grooves of the throat pleats, blowholes,
eyes, flippers, regions around barnacles, wounds, and genital slits, where they feed on dead or
damaged skin. Whale lice are transferred between whales as they touch, during mating and
from mother to calf.
Female whale lice brood their young in a pouch-like structure on the underside of their bodies.
The young whale lice, only about half a millimeter in length, but already resembling an adult,
develop in this pouch, crawling in and out, until they leave for good after 2–3 months.
Both barnacles and especially whale lice are often referred to as parasites. While barnacles do
not get their food from the whales, they do add drag to the otherwise smooth, streamlined
body of a whale. Whale lice do feed off their hosts (the whale’s skin), which could qualify them
as parasites. However, there is no conclusive evidence whether this is beneficial or harmful to
the whale, or both, depending on circumstances.
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Section 5: Rorquals
The rorquals or Balaenopteridae are the largest family of the suborder Mysticetes with about 7
species and some subspecies. Blue, Fin, Sei, Bryde’s, and Minke whales all belong to the same
genus, Balaenoptera. The humpback whale is different enough to be in a separate genus,
Megaptera.
Balaenoptera species are sleek, fast-swimming whales with a small, but distinct, often falcate
(curved) dorsal fin and a varying number of ventral pleats (30–100, depending on the size of the
species). Members of this group have been described as “different sizes of the same model”—at
least in terms of their shape; coloration varies.
The four species seen fairly regularly off the coast of San Diego are the Blue, Fin, Minke and
Humpback whale. One way to tell a Minke whale from the two larger Balaenoptera species is by
looking at its blow and dorsal fin: When they surface, in the Minke whale the blowhole and
dorsal fin are seen simultaneously, whereas in the blue and fin whale the dorsal fin appears well
after the blowholes and blow. (Sei and Bryde’s whale are like the MInke whale, but not likely to
be seen here.)
Blue Whale, Balaenoptera musculus
The blue whale is often
called “the largest animal
that ever lived on earth.”
This statement may have
to be revised. In 2014
fossil bones of a dinosaur
estimated to be 130’ long and 65’ tall were found in Patagonia, Argentina. (Some of these bones
are now at the American Museum of Natural History in NY, as we were told by a passenger on
Hornblower) The dinosaur was named Leinkupal laticauda, its name derived from the local
native language.
Physical Description
The blue whale has a huge body, up to 85’ in the northern hemisphere, and can weigh over 100
tons. Southern hemisphere blue whales are even larger; the maximum length recorded from
one individual being 110’. The head is U-shaped when seen from above and flat in profile, with a
massive splashguard that rises before two large blowholes. The surprisingly tiny triangular or
falcate dorsal fin is set far back on the body. The broad, triangular flukes are often raised during
a dive. The blow is up to 30’ tall and columnar.
Coloration
Are blue whales really blue?
Kenneth Brower, in National Geographic March 2009 writes:
“As one field guide describes it, ‘the blue whale is a light bluish gray overall, mottled with gray
or grayish white’—and indeed, the back is often this advertised color, but just as often,
depending on the light, the back shows a silver gray or pale tan. If blue whales above water are
generally considered blue, then below the surface they go indubitably turquoise.” Note that
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other whales and even Risso’s dolphins can also appear blue under water. The blue whale’s
variable mottling patterns have been used for photo identification of individual whales.
Feeding
Blue whales are thought to feed almost exclusively on krill, a small
shrimp-like crustacean. Being such large animals, they need to feed
year-round, wherever krill is available, consuming 4 tons or more
each day. They feed by lunging into schools of prey. There are 5568 ventral grooves, or pleats, extending from the lower jaw to near
the navel. These grooves expand when the whale feeds, allowing it
to take in huge gulps of water and prey. It is interesting to note
Krill
that the largest animal on earth eats some of the smallest prey. When blue whales are
feeding at the surface, large masses of orange-colored poop can often be seen—and smelled.
Distribution and Migration
Blue whales may be found in all oceans of the world. Their seasonal movements are complex
and not well understood. Much of the population migrates to lower latitudes during winter,
sometimes to productive areas, where feeding continues. Here they mate and give birth to
calves. They can feed throughout their range in polar, temperate and even tropical waters.
During the summer months, blue whales have been seen feeding off the coast of California.
Behavior
Blue whales are fast, strong swimmers, said to reach 30 mph in bursts of speed when alarmed,
but they usually cruise along at about 12 mph. Though they may be found singly or in small
groups, it is more common to see blue whales in pairs. Groups of 50–60 whales have been
observed occasionally.
Blue whales produce some of the loudest and lowest sounds of any animal, 188 decibels and 1720 Hz, which as humans we feel rather than hear. With these calls blue whales can communicate
with each other over hundreds of kilometers, across whole ocean basins.
Mating and Breeding
Sexual maturity is reached between the ages of 6–10 years. Mating and breeding take place
during fall and winter, and calves are born at intervals of 2–3 years.
Gestation is estimated at 11–12 months. A newborn calf weighs about 3 tons and measures
23–27’. While nursing, it consumes 100 gallons of high-fat milk each day, gaining 200 lbs per
day, or 8 lbs an hour, until weaning time 7 or 8 months later, when it will weigh approximately
23 tons and measure 52’.
Most of these data must have been obtained from calculations based on measurements of dead
animals, because until fairly recently, nothing was known about the blue whale’s breeding
grounds. Mothers with calves were seen in the Sea of Cortez and along the California coast, but
they were not newborns, and a birth had never been observed.
Studies by two of the most prominent whale researchers of the US west coast, Bruce Mate and
John Calambokidis, (reported on in National Geographic March 2009), have shown that the
“Costa Rica Dome,” an area of upwelling of nutrient-rich water 300–500 miles west of Costa Rica
may be the place where blue whales migrate during the winter. Through years of satellite
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tagging and photo ID they were able to document that whales seen earlier along the California
coast were spending as much as 5 months at the “dome,” mating, breeding and feeding, and
they did encounter a newborn calf up close.
Status and Conservation
Because of their enormous size and speed, blue whales were safe from early Whalers, who
could not pursue them in open boats with hand harpoons. But with the invention of the
exploding harpoon gun in 1868, and the use of steam and diesel powered factory ships and
catcher boats, the whaling industry began to focus on the blue whales after 1900. In the
southern hemisphere alone, 390,000 were killed in the first half of the 20th century. The
International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned all hunting of blue whales in 1966, giving them
worldwide protection. Recovery has been extremely slow, and presently there are an estimated
5–10,000 blue whales in the southern hemisphere, and only around 3–4,000 in the northern
hemisphere. A population of around 2,000 individuals that summer off the coast of California
may be the only population that is truly thriving.
Fin Whale, Balaenoptera physalus
The fin, or finback whale is
second only to the blue whale in
size and weight. Among the
fastest of the great whales, it is
capable of bursts of speed up to
30 mph, leading to its
description as the “greyhound
of the seas.” Blue whales are
also said to be capable of 30
mph bursts of speed, but their
cruising speed is given as 12 mph, whereas the fin whale swims at 18–23 mph, and it probably
got its name “greyhound of the seas” long before actual measurements were made. The most
unusual characteristic of the fin whale is the asymmetrical coloring of the lower jaw, which is
white or creamy yellow on the right side, and mottled black on the left side.
Physical Description
The fin whale is long, sleek, and streamlined, with a V-shaped head, which is flat on top. A single
ridge extends from the blowhole to the tip of the rostrum (upper jaw). There is a series of
50–100 throat pleats or grooves extending from the lower jaw to the navel.
The fin whale has a prominent, slightly falcate (curved) dorsal fin located far back on its body. Its
flippers are small and tapered, and its flukes are wide, pointed at the tips, with a notch at the
center. Fin whales do not normally raise their flukes when diving.
Adults measure up to 78–85 feet in the northern hemisphere and slightly more in the southern
hemisphere. As in all mysticetes, females are slightly larger than males. Weight for both sexes is
between 50–70 tons.
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Coloration
The fin whale is slate gray to brownish-black on its back and sides. Most individuals have lighter
swirls (called the “blaze”) on the right side of the head and a V-shaped chevron across the back
behind the head. The underside of the body, flippers and flukes are white. The lower jaw is gray
or black on the left side, and creamy white on the right side. This asymmetrical coloration
extends to the baleen plates as well, and is reversed on the tongue.
Feeding
Fin whales feed mainly on krill, some other crustaceans, and schooling fish. They have been
observed circling schools of fish at high speed, rolling the fish into a compact ball, then turning
on their right side to engulf all the fish in one big gulp. It has been suggested that the
asymmetrical color pattern of their jaw may aid in this method of capturing prey. The dark left
side on top and light right side below create counter shading, a feature common in marine
animals.
Distribution and Migration
A cosmopolitan species, the fin whale occurs in all major oceans, usually in temperate and polar
latitudes and less commonly in the tropics. Although fin whales tend to concentrate in coastal
and shelf waters, they can also be found in the deep ocean. Their seasonal movements appear
to be complex.
Behavior
Fin whales are usually found traveling alone or in small groups, but large unassociated
aggregations can occur on feeding grounds. Mixed schools of blue and fin whales are often
found in feeding areas, and these associations, combined with the evolutionary proximity of the
two species makes blue-fin hybrids relatively common.
Like blue whales, fin whales make very loud low-frequency vocalizations that can travel over
hundreds of miles in deep water. Whether these are used to communicate over such distances
is unknown.
The fin whale’s blow is tall and shaped like an inverted cone, and the dive sequence is 5–8 blows
approximately 70 seconds apart before a long dive, which can be as deep as 1,800’ (another
source says “limited to 600 feet”). Fin whales only rarely raise their flukes when they dive.
Mating and Breeding
No distinct breeding or calving grounds have been identified for the fin whale, and scientists
know very little about this species’ mating system. Females usually give birth to a single calf
every 2–3 years during the winter, after a gestation period of 11–12 months. Calves are weaned
after 6–7 months.
Status and Conservation
Like blue whales, the fin whales were safe from early whalers thanks to their speed and the fact
that they prefer the vastness of the open sea. With modern whaling methods, however, they
became easy victims. As blue whale populations got depleted, the whaling industry turned to
the smaller, still abundant fin whales as a replacement. Between 1935 and 1965, as many as
30,000 fin whales were slaughtered each year. The International Whaling Commission (IWC)
placed them under full protection in 1966, beginning with the North Pacific population. Precise
estimates are unavailable today, but it is thought that present populations are about 40,000 in
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the northern hemisphere and 15,000–20,000 in the southern hemisphere, just a small
percentage of the original population levels.
Minke Whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
When a whale or dolphin carries
the name of a person, like Risso’s
Dolphin, Eschrichtius, the gray
whale’s scientific name, or many
of the beaked whales, it is usually
the name of the scientist or
naturalist who first described it.
The Minke whale has a different story.
A novice whale-spotter on a Norwegian whaling boat named Meincke called out a sighting of
this whale at a time when it was considered worthless, too small to be hunted. Crew members
made fun of Minckey, and from then on these small whales were called “Minke’s whales.”
Originally only one species of Minke whale had been described, B. acutorostrata (meaning
“sharp snout”), the Common Minke Whale. As morphological and genetic evidence
accumulated, the Antarctic Minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis (meaning “from around
Buenos Aires”) was recognized as a separate species.
Physical description
This whale does not lend itself to being easily noticed. Its low, diffuse spout is easily overlooked.
Just 26–35’ in length and 5–10 tons in weight when fully grown, it is the smallest of the rorquals.
The dorsal fin that emerges from the water is scarcely taller than a wavelet. This is why the
Minke is often called “the elusive whale.”
A closer look under good conditions reveals the narrow, pointed triangular rostrum
(”acutorostrata”), a single ridge extending from the tip of the rostrum to the blowhole, 50–70
ventral pleats and the falcate dorsal fin.
Coloration
The Minke whale is counter-shaded, black to dark gray on top and white below, often with a
gray chevron crossing the back behind the head. A white band across the flipper is diagnostic for
the species.
Feeding
In terms of feeding, the Minke whale occupies the niche of the versatile generalist. Thanks to its
modest size, speed and agility, combined with its learning ability (for locating and remembering
good feeding sites), the Minke has a tremendously successful lifestyle, making use of a large
variety of food sources. Like all rorquals, they do lunge feeding for krill and smaller plankton, as
well as various schooling fish, often forced into a tight ball by sea gulls. They can also chase
down big fish like cod or salmon (up to 3’ long) one-on-one—all depending on the area and
availability of prey.
Distribution and Migration
Thanks to this adaptability, Minkes are now the most widely distributed of all baleen whales. B.
acutorostrata occurs in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, from tropical to polar waters.
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Generally, they inhabit warmer waters during winter and travel north to colder regions in the
summer, with some animals migrating as far as the ice edge. Minkes are frequently observed in
coastal or shelf waters. Females remain close to shore; males are farther out to sea. Some
Minkes migrate long distances, while others move only within a restricted area. In some areas,
Minkes may be found year-round.
Behavior
Common Minke whales are noted for their curiosity about ships, often coming from afar to cross
the bow or run with the vessel for minutes or hours. They are fast swimmers, said to be capable
of swimming at 21 mph. Both species of Minke whales are preyed upon by killer whales,
especially in Antarctica.
Mating and Breeding
Very little is known about the reproductive and breeding habits of Minke whales. There is good
evidence that many females give birth annually. Pregnancy rates remain at 90% for most of the
year, suggesting an annual cycle. Calving is thought to occur in winter after a gestation of
approximately 10 months. Calves appear to attain independence at about six months old; the
extreme rarity of mother-calf pair sightings anywhere in high latitudes suggests that females
wean their calves prior to their arrival at the summer feeding grounds. Mating is presumed to
occur in winter.
Status and Conservation
As the larger whale species became depleted, whalers began to hunt Minke whales, which in
earlier days were considered too small to make a worthwhile catch. Since the late 1960s and
1970s, Japan, Russia (which has now ceased whaling), and Norway have focused their whaling
efforts on Minke whales. Hunting for Minke whales continues today by Norway in the northeastern North Atlantic, and by Japan, as “scientific whaling.” However, the meat harvested from
this “scientific whaling” is sold and used as food.
Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Perhaps the most familiar of the
great whales, and certainly the
favorite of whale watchers, the
Humpback whale is the only species
in the genus Megaptera, and it is
indeed unique in so many ways:
 Most acrobatic
 Longest flippers
 Haunting songs, produced by males only
 Cooperative feeding, using “bubble nets”
 One of the longest migrations, similar to the gray whale
 Best studied of all the great whales (photo ID)
Physical Description
The humpback whale’s long flippers, the longest of any cetacean, make the species virtually
unmistakable at close range. The flippers also give this whale its scientific name: Megaptera is
Greek for “big wing,” and novae angliae is Latin for “from New England,” the origin of the
specimen first described in 1871.
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The humpback whale has a large, robust body. Length 40–48’ weight 25–40 tons (similar to a
gray whale, or a little larger).The head and lower jaw have a variable number of protuberances,
called tubercles. Ventral pleats are fewer and wider than in other rorquals, only 14–34 in
number. The long, narrow flippers are approximately one third the length of the body. The
dorsal fin, highly variable in form—from almost absent to high and falcate (curved)—is located
on a hump, which is particularly noticeable when the whale arches its back during a dive. The
trailing margin of the flukes is prominently serrated.
Coloration
The humpback’s body is black above, and black, white or mottled below. The flippers are usually
white ventrally; the coloration on the dorsal surface varies with the geographic region. The
flukes are black above and have a highly variable pattern below, which is distinctive for each
individual.
These markings on the underside of the humpback’s flukes make it possible to identify individual
whales by a technique called photo identification (“photo ID”), which was first developed by
Roger Payne in 1969 in his studies of Right whales off the coast of Argentina. Photo ID
revolutionized the way whale research is done. Extensive catalogs with thousands of pictures of
humpback whale flukes have been created and are used to track the whales’ movements,
pregnancies and general life history. Over the years, the method has been applied and adapted
to other whales, and even dolphins.
Feeding
As rorquals, humpback whales use the lunge feeding strategy, eating krill and small schooling
fish. But they have perfected this method with a special technique called “bubble net feeding.”
One whale dives and blows bubbles in a spiral pattern around a shoal of fish, driving them into a
tight ball toward the surface, where other whales then take large gulps of their prey. Bubble
feeding behaviors appear to vary in nature among individuals and regions.
Distribution and Migration
Humpback whales are found worldwide in all major oceans. They are highly migratory, feeding
during summer in mid– and high latitudes, mating and calving during winter in tropical or
subtropical waters. Most whales feeding in the North Pacific migrate to Hawaii for the winter.
Both humpback whales and gray whales are said to make “one of the longest migrations of any
mammal,” about 5–6,000 miles one way.
Behavior
The two most remarkable behaviors of humpback whales are their acrobatic behavior,
breaching, lobtailing (slapping the water with the flukes) and flipper slapping, and the songs that
only males produce during breeding season. For as much as these behaviors, especially the
vocalizations, have been recorded and studied—even sent into space!—their exact function is
still not known.
Mating and Breeding
Male humpback whales compete aggressively for females with lunges, tail slashes, charges and
blocks. Such competitive groups consist of 2 to more than 20 males around a single female, and
can last for hours. Breeding follows the typical rorqual pattern: gestation about one year, one
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calf born every other year, but calves remain with their mother for a year (instead of 6–7
months), rarely two years.
Status and conservation
Humpback whales were hunted extensively by commercial whalers in the 20th century as late as
1983, and were reduced to perhaps 10% of the original numbers worldwide. Despite this, most
humpback populations appear to be recovering well from exploitation. New threats—like for all
of the great whales—are ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, noise and other pollution in
the ocean and ocean warming, which affects their food supply.
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Section 6: Odontocetes (Toothed Whales)
Suborder
Odontoceti (Odontocetes, toothed whales)
Family
Physeteridae: the Sperm whale
Family
Monodontidae: Narwhal and Beluga whale
Family
Ziphiidae: Beaked whales
Family
Delphinidae: Ocean dolphins, Orca, Pilot whales
Family
Phocoenidae: Porpoises
There are five more families of Odontocetes, including several river dolphins.
Toothed Whales are a much more numerous and diverse group than baleen whales. They have
at least some teeth at some stage in their life and catch larger prey items, such as squid and fish,
swallowing them whole.
General Characteristics



The presence of teeth instead of baleen
A single blowhole on top of their head (baleen whales have a double blowhole)
A fatty organ, called a melon, that forms the forehead, used to focus sound waves for
echolocation, perhaps the Odontocetes’ most unique capability.
Whether an animal is called a whale or a dolphin is a matter of size. All baleen whales are
“whales.” The sperm whale is the largest member of the toothed whales, comparable in size to
the humpback whale. Next in size is the orca, which is also called “killer whale,” but belongs to
the Dolphin family (Delphinidae).
In the waters around San Diego we fairly regularly see five species of dolphins, all belonging to
the family Delphinidae. Sightings of Orcas, False Killer Whales and even Sperm Whales have
occurred during gray whale season.
Beluga Whales and Narwhals are only found in the Arctic.
Beaked Whales are medium-sized Cetaceans (about 9–23’), characterized by a reduced
dentition, elongated rostrum (beak), and un-notched fluke. Encounters with beaked whales are
rare, because they live far offshore in the open ocean, feeding on deep water squid and fish,
which they catch by suction rather than by grabbing them like dolphins with rows of teeth.
Recent research has shown that their ability to go for very long, deep dives equals or maybe
even surpasses that of the sperm whales.
Porpoises are small members of the toothed whales that look much like dolphins. The only
consistent difference between dolphins and porpoises is their teeth. Dolphins have cone-shaped
teeth, and porpoises have flattened, spade-shaped teeth.
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Porpoises do not occur in the San Diego area. The porpoise nearest to us is the highly
endangered Vaquita, in the uppermost part of the Sea of Cortez.
Some confusion exists as to the use of the word “porpoise.” Fishermen and animal trainers call
dolphins, especially the bottlenose dolphin, “porpoise.” These dolphins often leap out of the
water when moving around, a form of locomotion called “porpoising.” Ironically, the “real”
porpoises do not do this.
Delphinindae, Ocean Dolphins
Basic Anatomy and Behavior
All Delphinidae in our area have undifferentiated teeth (all looking the same, no molars etc.),
though the number and size differ among species. They have a curved dorsal fin near the center
of the back, and the flukes are notched. The length of the beak is variable; the bottlenose and
the two species of
common dolphins have
distinctive beaks, while the
Pacific white-sided and
Risso’s dolphins have little
or no beak at all.
These dolphins eat various
kinds of fish and squid and
travel in pods that may
number from just a few
individuals to hundreds, even thousands, of dolphin (called “megapods”). Pods have a loose
social structure, with individuals frequently joining or leaving.
The cohesiveness of dolphin groups differs according to behavior, with dolphins generally in
more dispersed subgroups while milling, socializing and feeding, and more tightly grouped while
traveling and resting. They often cooperate while herding and feeding on small schooling fish.
Like all odontocetes, dolphins use echolocation to orient themselves, find prey and avoid
predators. In addition to the very high frequency clicks (up to 120 kHz) they emit when
echolocating, they also produce lower frequency sound waves called whistles used for
communication.
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Dolphin Species in Our Region
Common Dolphin
The common dolphin is indeed the most
“common”—meaning abundant—dolphin in
temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans. Based on anatomical and
genetic differences, two distinct species were
recognized in 1994:
 The Short-beaked Common Dolphin,
Delphinus delphis
 And the Long-beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis
The California coast is one of the areas where the ranges of the two species overlap, and as the
picture shows, it can be difficult to tell them apart. When looking at the profile of the two
species, the short-beaked common dolphin has a more rounded melon that meets the beak at a
sharp angle, as compared to the long-beaked common dolphin that has a flatter melon that
meets the beak at a more gradual angle. And, of course, the long-beaked form does have a
longer beak.
Now just imagine being out on the boat, watching these dolphins racing by, and deciding which
species you are seeing!
The color patterns, the most elaborate of any cetacean, don’t help much either, because there is
considerable variation in both species.
Length and Weight
Common dolphins can reach lengths of 7.5–8.5’ and weigh about 300 lbs. The short-beaked
common dolphin is relatively heavier than the long-beaked common dolphin, and has a larger
dorsal fin and flippers.
Distribution
Both species of common dolphin occur in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The shortbeaked common dolphin is the more widespread, offshore form, found in continental shelf and
pelagic waters. The long-beaked common dolphin occurs in nearshore waters of parts of Africa,
South America, China and California. This difference in distribution can be another clue for the
two species’ identification; however, in some areas their ranges overlap.
Feeding
As would be expected for a species occupying a wide range of habitats, common dolphins feed
on a wide variety of prey, mainly small size fish and squid, which can be swallowed whole, both
at the surface during the day—often accompanied by huge flocks of sea birds—and during the
night at the “deep scattering layer.”
The deep scattering layer (DSL), first discovered through Navy sonar—hence the name—is
actually a layer of living organisms, fish, squid and smaller invertebrates, which spend the day in
the depths and move closer to the surface during the night. Common dolphin have been found
to dive to depths of 600’.
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Mating and Breeding
Like with feeding, there is considerable variation in reproductive behavior, depending on the
region. Gestation: 10–11 months, lactation: 5–6 months, in another reference “at least 10
months”, calving interval: 1–3 years. In temperate regions calves are usually born in the spring.
Sexual maturity is reached earlier in males (2–4 years) than in females (6–8 years).
Behavior
Pods of hundreds and thousands of common dolphins are often seen. They are thought to be
composed of smaller subunits of about 20–30 closely related individuals. Associations with pods
of other dolphins (like Pacific white-sided dolphins in our area) have been observed, as has “bow
riding” on mysticete whales, possibly the origin of bow riding on vessels. Common dolphins are
known for riding bow and stern waves of boats, even changing course to ride the pressure wave
of fast moving vessels, and they engage in spectacular aerial behavior.
Status
For a long time, hundreds and thousands of common dolphins were taken incidentally, along
with spinner and pantropical spotted dolphins, in purse seine nets used during tuna fishing
operations in the eastern tropical Pacific. Once this practice became widely known in the 70s, it
turned into an environmental issue. Gradually, regulations were put in place, the “dolphin safe”
label for canned tuna was created, and the situation was greatly improved.
Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
Pacific white-sided dolphins sometimes appear
in mixed pods with common dolphins. Both
species are about the same size (length around
8’, weight about 300 lbs.), have a bold, complex
color pattern, dark above and lighter on the
sides and below, and both like to bow ride and
leap clear out of the water when traveling.
Pacific white-sided dolphins can be readily distinguished from the common dolphin by having
practically no beak and a large dorsal fin with a wash of white on it.
Range and Distribution
Often called “Lags” from their scientific name, Lagenorhynchus (which, ironically, means “bottlenose”), these dolphins are found in temperate parts of the entire North Pacific in continental
shelf and slope waters, in the eastern part as far north as the southern Bering sea, and south to
the tip of Baja California. In southern California they become most abundant during winter, from
November to April (our whale watching season), although they are seen less frequently than
common dolphins.
Feeding
Pacific white-sided dolphins feed opportunistically on abundant species of fishes and squid, both
during the day and at night. Average dives last 3 minutes, and they are not considered to be
deep divers.
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Reproduction
Surprisingly little is known about the reproduction of such a common species. Like in the other
dolphin species described here, gestation is about 11–12 months. Calves are born in mid- to late
summer, and the calving interval is 4–5 years.
Status
Until 1992, when large scale driftnet fishing was banned, 4–8,000 Pacific white-sided dolphins
were killed each year as bycatch in these fishing operations. They are still hunted for food in
Japan. They have been held in aquariums in the U.S., Canada and Japan, but survival rates are
low.
Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncates
This is the archetypal dolphin, already well known to the ancient Greeks, and featuring
prominently in their mythology. Today it is perhaps one of the best known cetaceans, because
of its widespread use in marine parks, research facilities, and Navy training centers. It is the
dolphin most frequently seen from
shore in the US and elsewhere.
The bottlenose dolphin is a relatively
robust dolphin with an unusually short,
stubby beak and a marked crease
between the melon and the beak. Like the beluga whale, it has more flexibility in its neck than
other oceanic dolphins, because 5 of its 7 neck vertebrae are not fused together.
The color pattern consists mostly of gray tones with strong countershading (dark above, light
below).
Distribution
Bottlenose dolphins are found in temperate and tropical waters around the world. There are
coastal populations that migrate into bays, estuaries and river mouths, as well as offshore
populations that inhabit pelagic waters along the continental shelf. Offshore animals tend to be
larger bodied and darker, with smaller flippers than their inshore counterparts.
While there is much variation among bottlenose dolphins from different parts of the world, and
between the inshore and offshore types, no subspecies have been recognized. Bottlenose
dolphins used in marine parks and by the Navy are “Atlantic bottlenose dolphins,” smaller and
lighter colored than the bottlenose dolphins we sometimes see on whale watching trips farther
offshore.
Feeding
Feeding behaviors are diverse, primarily involving individual prey capture, but sometimes also
coordinated efforts by several individuals, like chasing fish into mudbanks, and feeding in
association with human fishing. One interesting aspect is that a large part of these dolphins’ diet
are noise-producing fish, presumably because sound helps them locate their prey.
Mating and Breeding
As in the other dolphins described here, gestation is about 12 months. Calves can be born any
time of the year, with a peak during spring and summer. Unusual in this species is that lactation
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can continue for several years after the first year, and “maternal investment for calves in the
wild typically extends for about 3–6 years, with the separation often coinciding with the birth of
the next calf.” Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals.
Behavior
Most of what we know of the general biology of dolphins comes from studies of bottlenose
dolphins, both in captivity and in the wild. Bottlenose dolphins demonstrate a high level of
intelligence and playfulness. They are able to recognize themselves in a mirror, and they
produce so called “signature whistles,” which have been compared to an individual’s name.
Status
Since bottlenose dolphins are in part a coastal species, some populations are exposed to high
levels of pollution, gillnet entanglement, prey fish population collapse, and general habitat
degradation. There is speculation that heavy burdens of pollutants weaken their immune
system. The drive fishery in Taiji, the last one in Japan, documented in the movie “The Cove” still
continues. In general, though, bottlenose dolphins are classified as a species of “least concern”
by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Risso’s Dolphin, Grampus griseus
Encountering Risso’s dolphins (named after Mr. Risso, who described them in 1812), is always a
special experience. When you first spot their tall dorsal fins in the distance, you might mistake
them for female killer whales. But as
they come closer, there is no doubt
that these are Risso’s dolphins, the 5th
largest members of the family
Delphinidae.
Description
Both males and females can reach up
to 12.5’ in length. Their anterior body is extremely robust, tapering to a relatively narrow tail
stock, and their dorsal fin is one of the tallest in proportion to body length of any cetacean. The
bulbous head with no beak has a distinct vertical crease along the surface of the melon.
Coloration
In this species, the color patterns change dramatically with age. Very young calves are gray
brown dorsally and creamy white ventrally, with a white anchor-shaped patch between the
flippers and white around the mouth. Calves then darken to nearly black, retaining the white
patch. As they mature, they lighten (except for the dorsal fin, which remains black in adults),
and most of the lateral and dorsal surface of the body becomes covered with distinctive linear
scars, thought to be caused by other Risso’s dolphins and maybe squid beaks. Older individuals
can appear almost completely white on the dorsal surface. No sexual dimorphism has been
reported.
Range and Distribution
Risso’s dolphin have an extensive distribution in tropical and warm temperate waters of all
oceans. In some areas, or possibly seasonally, they occupy a very narrow niche, best described
as the steep upper continental slope, where water depths usually exceed 1,000’. They also move
onto the shelf at times, presumably in response to squid availability. Although seasonal shifts in
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density occur, clear migratory patterns have not been defined. There is suggestive evidence that
changed ecological conditions in at least two areas, the northern Gulf of Mexico and off
southern California, resulted in Risso’s dolphins moving into waters previously occupied by
Short-finned Pilot Whales.
Feeding
Risso’s dolphins are squid specialists. They occasionally consume octopus and cuttlefish as well,
but there is little evidence that they regularly eat fish or crustaceans. Much of their feeding
takes place at night, possibly because some prey species migrate towards the surface then.
Reproduction
Life history information about this species is very limited, and data given by different sources do
not agree with each other.
Behavior
Risso’s dolphins are usually seen in groups of 12–40 individuals, averaging 25. Large
aggregations of 100–200, or even several thousand are seen occasionally. They are often
encountered in mixed schools with various other odontocetes. They can be playful and acrobatic
during intervals of rest near the surface, with displays of breaching, fluke and flipper slapping
fairly common. Dives may last half an hour.
Status
Risso’s dolphin appears abundant, widely distributed, and not immediately threatened globally.
They are exposed to the usual threats that all dolphins (and whales) face: bycatch and
entanglement through various fishing operations, deliberate catch for food in some parts of the
world, ingestion of plastic mistaken for food, and contamination with pollutants. Numbers off
the US west coast are estimated at 30,000 (from Audubon Guide to Marine Mammals of the
World, 2002).
Sperm Whale, Physeter macrocephalus
Sperm whales have been seen just once for several days during our more than ten years of
doing Hornblower whale watching cruises.
But the sperm whale is an “animal of
extremes,” worth knowing about:
Description
 The largest of the toothed whales,
with the biggest head
(“macrocephalus” means just that)
 Females: up to 36’ long, weigh 15
tons
 Males: 60’ long, weigh 45 tons (compare this with the gray whale!)
 The largest brain of any animal, weighing 16 lbs
 The most sophisticated echolocation organ
 One of the deepest and longest divers, more than 3,000’ for 90 minutes
 A very highly developed social structure
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The sperm whale’s appearance is dominated by its gigantic head, containing the spermaceti
organ, which takes up a quarter of total body length in females and a third in males.
“Spermaceti,” so called because to the early whalers it looked like sperm—hence the whale’s
name—is a waxy substance, which provided the finest grade oil for lubricants, candles and other
purposes until the 1960 and 70s. For this highly prized product thousands of sperm whales were
killed every year until they were finally protected.
Behavior
Sperm whales have a cosmopolitan distribution. Females form “matrilineal” social units
consisting of several generations, which together travel widely within their home range in
tropical and subtropical waters far from land. They raise their calves communally, babysitting
each other’s offspring, while a mother goes off for a deep dive to feed, where the young ones
cannot follow, and in some cases even nursing each other’s calves. They communicate with each
other by special clicks called “codas”, which are typical for each group.
Young males in their teens—or before—will leave their mother’s unit, forming bachelor’s
groups, which gradually move to higher latitudes, eventually getting to the ice edges of both
hemispheres. Over the years, groups become smaller, and only when they reach their late
twenties do these males return to the warm water habitat of the females to mate.
According to investigations done only in the last 15 years, spermaceti is part of the most
complex echolocation organ found in any toothed whale which allows the sperm whale to
create the most powerful and most directional clicks, reaching over ranges of hundreds of
meters to tens of kilometers.
Feeding
On their deep dives to depths of total darkness sperm whales hunt for squid, relying on their
superior echolocation capabilities. They actively pursue their prey, but do not grab the squid
with the powerful teeth in their lower jaw; they suck them in. Females mostly eat squid in the
2–20 pound range; males take larger ones, but not exclusively the giant squid, as popular
literature would make you believe.
Orca (Killer Whale) Orcinus orca
Though seldom found off the coast of San
Diego, Orcas or killer whales are so iconic,
they are included in this guide.
General Characteristics
The Orca, or killer whale, with its striking
black and white coloring, is one of the best
known of all the cetaceans. It has been
extensively studied in the wild and is often
the main attraction at many sea parks and
aquaria. The Orca is known for being a
carnivorous, fast and skillful hunter, with a
complex social structure. Sometimes called "the wolf of the sea," the Orca can be a fierce hunter
with well-organized hunting techniques, although there are no documented cases of killer
38
whales attacking a human in the wild. Many whale calves, dolphins, and pinnipeds are prey for
these animals.
Description
The Orca has a striking color. Each whale can be individually identified by its markings and by
the shape of its saddle patch and dorsal fin. Males can grow as large as 32 feet long and weigh
8–9 tons. Females can reach 23 feet in length and weigh up to 4 tons. By 1973, photographs
were being used to identify individuals based on differences in saddle color pattern, dorsal fin
shapes and other identifying marks and scars. Identified Orcas have all been numbered and
careful records are kept of their re-sightings.
Behavior
Orcas generally live in pods (groups) consisting of several females, calves, one or more males,
and/or juveniles. Some pods consist of a mother and her offspring who stay with her for life.
There are resident pods off the coast of the Pacific Northwest which have been extensively
studied. They feed mostly on fish. There are other pods called transient Orcas who feed on
other marine mammals. Residents have a matrilineal family structure has been observed in the
U.S. Pacific Northwest where resident pods have been documented as stable, consistent
matriarchal family groups with several generations traveling together. Transient pods appear to
be more fluid; individuals come and go, groups often contain unrelated females with offspring,
offspring do not stay with their mother and pods may form solely as a temporary foraging pack.
Status
Although Orcas are widely distributed, total world population is still unknown. They have no
natural enemies and have not been hunted as much as other whales. Recent studies suggest
that a significant threat to Orcas, and other marine mammals, may come from man-made
chemicals. Yet, toxins are not the only threats facing orcas. Many fish populations around the
world are decreasing. This may be having a direct effect on the populations of fish-eating
resident whales. Loss of fish may also cause a decline in seals and sea lions, often the primary
prey of transient Orcas.
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Section 7: Pinnipeds—Sea Lions and Seals
Order Carnivora
Suborder Pinnipedia
Family Otariidae, eared seals (sea lions, fur seals)
Phocidae, true seals, earless seals (harbor seal etc.)
Odobenidae, walrus
General Comments
The order Carnivora is divided into two suborders, the Pinnipedia (the “wing-footed” ones), and
the Fissipedia (those with separate toes), which include all the land carnivores (cats, dogs, bears,
raccoons, weasels) and also the aquatic otters.
As with the terms “dolphin” and “porpoise,” there is some confusion as to the meaning of the
word “seal.” It is often used in a general way for any pinniped, except the walrus. The
performers in “seal shows” are actually all California sea lions, and “fur seals” are really eared
seals. That is why Phocids are called “true seals.”
Similar to cetaceans, pinnipeds have evolved over the past 25 million years from land mammals,
gradually adapting to an aquatic life style. But unlike cetaceans, they have only gone half-way.
They still spend a good part of their lives on land, and have retained some characteristics of land
mammals: hind legs, fur, and in the case of the eared seals, external ear flaps.
Sea Lions vs. Seals
Several characteristics of sea lions
indicate that, compared to seals, they
are still more closely associated with
life on land. Sea Lions have external
ear flaps. They are able to rotate their
hind flippers forward, bringing them
under the body. This allows them to
walk on land at remarkable speed,
even climbing rocks and buoys. Sea
lions swim with rowing motions of
their front flippers. They often come
partway out of the water,
“porpoising” almost like dolphins.
Mating and breeding take place on land. Newborn pups can walk and groom themselves within
an hour of birth, but learning to swim is a much more gradual process.
True seals (like the harbor seal) have adapted more fully to life in the water. In the process of
streamlining the body, they, like cetaceans, have lost their external ears. They cannot rotate
their hind flippers forward, so on sandy or rocky beaches they have to propel themselves
awkwardly on their bellies, with the help of their front flippers. On ice, however, where many
species of Phocids live, they glide along fast and seemingly without effort. They swim with
sideways motions of their rear end and hind flippers.
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Like sea lions, seals haul out on land, but mating takes place in the water. Newborn pups—in the
case of the harbor seal, born on land—can go swimming with their mother within an hour of
birth.
The only species of Pinnipeds that we routinely see on Hornblower cruises is the California sea
lion—it’s practically a guarantee to see one! They haul out on the buoys we pass, and at the bait
dock in the harbor, which captains will often pass on the way back to the pier. Sometimes we
also encounter them swimming in the open ocean.
On clear days, Los Coronados Islands can be seen from the boat. The following are in Mexican
waters and the site of breeding colonies of three species of pinnipeds:
 California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
 Harbor Seal, Phoca vitulina
 Northern Elephant Seal, Mirounga angustirostris
California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Description
California sea lions are known for their intelligence,
playfulness, and noisy barking. Their color ranges
from chocolate brown in males to a lighter golden
brown in females. In sea lions, there is high sexual
dimorphism (males and females are different in size
and other characteristics). California sea lion males
may reach almost 8’ in length and weigh as much as
1,000 lbs., more often 850 lbs. Females grow to a
maximum of 6’ and 220 lbs. Sea lions have a “doglike” face, and at around five years of age, males
develop a bony ridge on top of their head, called a
sagittal crest. This area often gets lighter with age.
It gives the California sea lion its scientific name,
“lophus,” which refers to the crest on a Greek
warrior’s helmet; the prefix “za” intensifies the meaning (like we use “super” or “mega.”)
Range and habitat
California sea lions are found from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and to the southern tip
of Baja California in Mexico. They breed mainly on offshore islands, ranging from the southern
California’s Channel Islands all the way to Mexico. A few pups have been born on Ano Nuevo
and the Farallon Islands in central California. There is even a distinct population of California sea
lions on the Galapagos Islands. A third population in the Sea of Japan became extinct, probably
during World War II.
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Behavior and Diet
California sea lions are very social animals,
and groups often rest closely packed together
at favored haul-out sites on land, or float
together on the ocean’s surface in “rafts.”
They are sometimes seen porpoising
(alternating rising above the water and
submerging), or jumping out of the water,
presumably to speed up their swimming.
Keep this in mind when you think you see
dolphins in the distance. Sea lions have also
been seen “surfing” breaking waves.
California sea lions are opportunistic eaters,
feeding on squid, octopus, herring, rockfish, mackerel and small sharks. Natural predators are
Orcas (killer whales) and great white sharks.
Mating and Breeding
Most pups are born in June or July and weigh 13–20 lbs. They nurse for at least five or six
months and sometimes over a year. Mothers recognize pups through smell, sight and
vocalizations. Pups also learn to recognize the vocalizations of their mothers. When you look at
pictures of the extremely crowded rookeries, you understand how important this is. After the
first few days of continuous nursing, mothers go off on prolonged foraging trips to replenish
their energy, and on their return, they have to recognize their own pup to continue nursing.
Status
The population of California sea lions is growing steadily. They can be seen (smelled and heard)
in many coastal spots, such as La Jolla Cove and Pier 39 in San Francisco. The current population
is approximately 296,000 according to the 2015 NOAA stock reports.
Harbor Seals, Phoca vitulina
Greek and Latin for “seal resembling a calf”
Description
Harbor seals have spotted coats in a variety of
shades from silver-gray to black or dark brown.
They reach 5–6’ in length and weigh up to 300
lbs. Unlike in sea lions, male seals are only
slightly larger than females.
Range and habitat
Harbor seals are found north of the equator in
both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the northeast Pacific, they range from Alaska to Baja
California, Mexico. They favor near-shore coastal waters and are often seen at sandy beaches
(like the Children’s Pool, or Casa Pool in La Jolla), at mudflats, bays and estuaries.
Mating and Breeding
In California, harbor seal pups are born in March and April and weigh about 30 lbs at birth,
considerably more than the 13–20 lbs for California sea lions, even though seals are smaller.
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These pups are more highly developed when they are born; they can swim within their first hour
and will sometimes ride on their mother’s back when tired. The pups are weaned after only
about 4 weeks (unlike sea lions, which nurse for at least 6 months). Adult females mate and give
birth every year. They may live 25–30 years.
Behavior and Diet
Harbor seals spend about half their time on land and half in water, and they sometimes sleep in
the water. They can dive to 1,500’ for up to 40 minutes, although their average dive lasts less
than three to seven minutes and is typically shallow. They are opportunistic feeders, eating sole,
flounder, sculpin, hake, cod, herring, octopus, and squid. They are usually found in small groups,
but sometimes occur in numbers of 500.
Status
The harbor seal population in the eastern north Pacific is estimated to be 300,000 and in
California the estimated population was 30,900 according to the 2015 NOAA stock reports.
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Section 8: Other Marine Life You May See
Kelp Forests
On most Hornblower trips you may see the kelp
beds that grow just offshore from Point Loma. It is
a vast expanse of what people often refer to as a
plant, but is actually a form of brown macroalgae
(Protists). You may come across individual pieces
of kelp floating in the water.
Giant Kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, is Southern
California’s most important seaweed, forming
giant underwater beds that reach up to the surface
from as far down as 90 feet. Giant kelp is
considered the fastest growing organism, capable
of increasing in length 1 to 2 feet per day.
Giant kelp (internet image) from:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kelplives.html
Macrocystis has long stem-like stipes that rise to the surface from a large mound-like holdfast
anchored in the sand or rocks. Along their length, the stipe holds many broad, wrinkled blades,
each with an air-filled bladder, or float, at the base. The floats keep the blade upright.
Sometimes you will see a different, rather striking species of kelp floating at the surface, the
Elkhorn Kelp or Bullwhip (Pelagophycus sp.). It has a single gas-filled float the size of a tennis, or
baseball, with two antler-like extensions that bear long, broad blades.
Kelp favors nutrient-rich, cool, clear water conditions through which sunlight penetrates easily.
They use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into the carbohydrates that
provide them nutrients through the process of photosynthesis. Kelp grows most successfully in
regions of upwelling (regions where the ocean layers overturn, bringing cool, nutrient-rich
bottom waters to the surface) and regions with continuously cold, high-nutrient waters.
Kelp serves many functions within the marine ecosystem, including: food, shelter, attaching
surface, nursery, and hunting grounds for predators. Kelp forests are the ‘producers,’ and are
grazed upon by sea urchins and some snails. Filter feeders, larval stages of many different
species, and scavengers (hermit crabs, anemones, and certain kinds of worms, snails and fish)
take shelter in the kelp bed. Sea stars, lobsters, octopus and fish, in turn, prey upon these
organisms.
Historic kelp beds in Southern California have been reduced by more than 80 percent during the
past 100 years. Though natural disturbances, such as heavy storms and El Niño events have
taken their toll, the kelp beds have not been able to recover due to human impacts from storm
water and other pollution, sedimentation from coastal development and over-fishing of the
predators that balance out kelp-grazing sea urchins.
Source: Mann, K.H. 1973. Seaweeds: their productivity and strategy for growth. Science 182: 975-981.
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Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola
Family: Molidae
The ocean sunfish or Mola mola, is the heaviest known
bony fish in the world. It has an average adult weight
of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). The species is native to tropical
and temperate waters around the globe. It resembles a
fish head with a tail, and its main body is flattened
laterally.
Ocean sunfish live on a diet consisting mainly of jellies.
Females can produce more eggs than any other known
vertebrate. Sunfish fry resemble miniature pufferfish,
with large pectoral fins, a tail fin, and body spines
uncharacteristic of adult sunfish.
Adult ocean sunfish are vulnerable to few natural predators, but sea lions, Orcas (killer whales),
and sharks will consume them. Among humans, sunfish are considered a delicacy in some parts
of the world and are frequently caught in gillnets.
In the course of its evolution, the caudal fin (tail) of the sunfish disappeared, to be replaced by a
lumpy pseudotail. Without a true tail to provide thrust for forward motion and equipped with
only small pectoral fins, the ocean sunfish relies on its long, thin dorsal and anal fins for
propulsion, driving itself forward by moving these fins from side to side.
Sunfish are native to the temperate and tropical waters of every ocean in the world. Contrary to
the perception that sunfish spend much of their time basking at the surface, adult sunfish
actually spend a large portion of their lives submerged at depths greater than 200 m (660 ft).
Surface basking behavior, in which a sunfish swims on its side, presenting its largest profile to
the sun, may be a method of "thermally recharging" following dives into deeper, colder water.
Jellies
Some people call them jellyfish, but the proper name is
jelly since they are not actually fish. Jellies are more than
95% water and do not have brains, teeth, bones, or blood.
Moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) like the one on the right are
seen in the Pacific Ocean sea coast from Alaska to
Southern California. The moon jelly is a carnivore that
feeds on small mollusks, crustaceans, tunicate larvae,
copepods, and nematodes among other small plankton.
The Monterrey Bay Aquarium website is a good source for more information on jellies.
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Squid
Whalers have reported seeing squid from the boat. Squid are cephalopods with 8 arms arranged
in pairs and, usually, longer tentacles. There are over 280 species worldwide. Many are able to
change their color and pattern to stalk prey, attract mates, or communicate with other squid.
They move by shooting jets of water. The below pictures are the Giant Humboldt Squid. Most of
the squid that are food sources for some whales are much smaller.
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Section 9: Birding on the Hornblower
There are some great birding opportunities while cruising on the Hornblower. In the harbor,
many familiar species of coastal and marsh birds can be observed, such as herons, egrets and
the ubiquitous gulls, and brown pelicans. As we go further out to sea, you can see the less
familiar sea birds, such as shearwaters, auklets, murres, and boobies. Identifying birds while on
a boat is challenging and fun. The key to identifying seabirds is watching their flight patterns and
behaviors. Take note: binoculars are necessary for observing details.
Wading Birds
Herons and egrets have curved necks and straight, dagger-like bills used to capture prey in quick
strikes. Feeds on fish, and often seen around the bait docks and on fishing boats.
Snowy egret (L)
L 24”, WS 41” They have black legs and
yellow feet in breeding season
(February–July). Great egrets are larger
and have black feet.
Great Blue Heron (R)
L 46”, WS 72” Great Blue Herons are
found along the shores, ponds, lagoons,
and bays. They feed on small mammals,
fish, and other prey. The large size and
gray color make this heron
unmistakable.
Jaegers
Jaegers are predatory gulls that come to land only to nest. Jaegers prey on other birds, or steal
food from other seabirds (kleptoparasitism) by chasing them, and forcing them to give up
captured prey. Jaegers can be seen within a few miles of land during fall and winter, they are
usually solitary. Jaegers are fast fliers, and the agile
Parasitic Jaeger performs stunning acrobatics when
chasing terns.
Parasitic Jaeger (R)
L 16.5”, WS 46” Dark gray-brown body, white wing
patches. Adults have long tapered central tail
feathers and a dark cap.
Gulls
Gulls are adept at swimming, walking, and flying. Identifying gulls is challenging because they
molt yearly and have a number of plumages in the first three years of life. All of the larger gulls
are born dark, and lighten as they mature. Gulls are surface feeders; they do not dive
underwater for food. They are omnivorous, feeding on food they capture, glean, or scavenge.
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Gulls have a buoyant, parachute-like arching wing position as they fly. There are 3 common gulls
in our area: California gull, Heermann’s gull, and Western gull.
Western Gull (R)
L 25” WS 58” This is a large stocky gull with, white head
and body and a heavy bill that is thick-tipped. They are
black on upper edge of wing, with very dark upper wing
and a dark-back.
They follow
boats, stealing
fish, and also
prey upon small
seabirds.
Heermann’s Gull (L)
L 19”, WS 51” This gull is easiest to identify. The first
winter birds are chocolate brown; adults are dark grey
with a white head. Adults have black feet and blacktipped red bill. They chase other birds to steal food. They are seen in fall and winter.
California Gull (R)
L 21”, WS54” This gull is smaller than Western gull,
with a smaller bill. The back is medium gray with
black wing tips. Adults have a red and black tip on
the bill. They are seen in fall and winter.
Shearwaters
Shearwaters are longwinged seabirds and
members of a larger
group known as tubenoses. They have tubular nostrils located on
top of the bills that excrete excess salts. Shearwaters spend their
lives over the open ocean, coming to land only when nesting.
Shearwaters are amazing flyers that fly with stiff wingbeats and
long arcing glides. They forage for small animals and carrion mainly
at the water’s surface
Black-vented Shearwater (L)
L 14” WS 34” Dark on upper body, white below. Black under tail.
Most common shearwater off San Diego, usually within a few miles
from shore. They fly with 5–6 snappy wingbeats then a glide.
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Terns
Terns are distributed worldwide and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are
generally smaller and more slender than gulls,
and have relatively long, pointed wings and
straight pointed bills. Most feed exclusively on
small fish, captured by plunging headfirst into
the water from flight. Subtle differences in
wing color separate one species from another.
Elegant Tern (R)
L17” WS 34” These terns are smaller than the
Royal terns found in the bay. They are more
common further out of the bay. They have a
slender downturned bill. Other terns you
might see are the Forster’s tern with
translucent wings and the Caspian tern which
is larger than the Elegant Tern with a
distinctive red bill.
Pelicans
Pelicans are large birds with long bills and large
pouches. They hunt for fish with spectacular twisting
plunge-dives from the air. Flight is relaxed with
graceful gliding, and they are often seen flying in
lines just above the water.
Brown Pelican (R)
L 51”, WS 79” These pelicans are gray brown or
silvery in color. They are common along the coast.
Surf Scoter (R)
L 20”, WS 30”; The prominent bright orange bill is
distinctive; with white on back of head. They are
found near pilings searching for shellfish, mainly
mussels.
Other diving ducks include the Bufflehead and the
Greater Scaup. The male Bufflehead has a white
patch on face and back of head. The Greater Scaup
in flight has a white band on inner part of upper
wings.
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Cormorants
Cormorant feathers rapidly become saturated on contact with water, therefore they only enter the
water to feed and bathe. They dive from the surface and propel themselves with their feet. After
fishing, cormorants go ashore and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun to dry.
Brandt’s Cormorant
Double-crested cormorant
L 34”, WS 48” Brown chin area. Neck is
nearly straight in flight. Common in ocean
waters. Flies low over the water in lines.
L 33”, WS 52”. Orange chin area. Flies with
crook in its neck. Stays close to bay.
Identifying Birds by Behavior
Watching a bird’s behaviors is one way to begin identification of the bird. For accurate identification,
appearance and size also need to be taken into account.
Plunge Diver—Pelicans and Terns
These birds will fly above the ocean, sometimes quite high, and then fall from the sky. It will appear
that they have been shot! But don’t worry, they are just after fish. The Brown Pelican is often seen in
large flocks either just above water surface or higher in the air, often gliding for long periods of time
on large, “fingered” wings; wing-beats are slow and ‘measured.’
Underwater Swimmers—Cormorants and Surf Scoters
Cormorants are mostly seen singly, flying low above the water surface on rapid wing-beats without
gliding intervals. They can be seen in larger flocks and also higher in the sky—many in the bay,
particularly at bait docks where they swim around diving for fish or sit upright, with wings stretched
out to dry them. When they dive into the water they can swim for long distances. If you see one
disappear look carefully, it will pop up somewhere else.
Surface Scavengers—Gulls and Shearwaters
These birds float on the surface or fly low and pick up any food that is readily available, including
human refuse. If you see birds following fishing boats, it’s most likely gulls and shearwaters. The
shearwater is known for flying with 506 snappy wingbeats and then gliding.
Kleptoparasites—Heermann’s Gull
Yes, you have it correct, klepto for kleptomaniac and parasite meaning they live off other animals.
Heermann’s gulls stay close to the Brown Pelican to snatch food away, even retrieving the food from
the pelican’s pouch.
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Interesting Tidbits on the Birds You’ll See
Western Gulls and KFC
Interesting note from Phil Unitt, Curator of Birds & Mammals:
Western gulls have a huge colony on the south Coronado Island. Scientists were mystified to find
chicken bones all over the island, which were traced back to Kentucky Fried Chicken. The gulls were
scavenging local KFC restaurants and taking the chicken pieces back to the island to feast on the finger
licking good chicken. Or should we say, “Claw licking good?”
Snowy Egret’s Feeding Behavior
The Snowy Egret can be found in tide pools searching for food. The bird will move its feet and disturb
the bottom of the pool to release the prey and then gobble them up. It resembles dancing.
Snowy Egrets can also be spotted closely following clam diggers waiting for whatever comes up when
the diggers pull up the clam gun (a hollow tube that is inserted in the sand).
Great Blue Heron’s Love the Navy Subs
Look carefully in the eucalyptus trees in the Navy’s submarine barge opposite the bait dock. A large
nesting colony of Great Blue Herons can be seen.
Cormorants
Cormorants swim low in the water often with just their necks and heads visible. After diving, a
Cormorant spends long periods standing with its wings outstretched to allow them to dry, since they
are not fully waterproof; they do not have oil producing glands like many other seabirds.
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Section 10: San Diego Bay
This section is courtesy of Birch Aquarium. Written by Audrey Evans.
San Diego, today the eighth largest city in the U.S., is separated from the city of Coronado by San
Diego Bay. This landlocked natural harbor shelters the overlapping, peninsulas of Point Loma to the
west and Coronado to the east.
San Diego Bay: Besides serving as a homeport for commercial fishing fleets, San Diego Bay is the
headquarters of the 11th U.S. Naval District, and is a base of operations for army, marine and coast
guard installations. The bay, one of the great natural harbors of the world, is a first port of call for
coastal and foreign shipping. The entrance to
San Diego Bay is 10 miles northwest of the
Mexican border. It lies entirely within the county
of San Diego and is bounded by five cities: San
Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach,
and Coronado. The bay is 14 miles long and
ranges from 55 feet deep at the entrance to only
a few feet deep at the extreme southern end,
the head of the bay. San Diego Bay is a wellprotected and sheltered bay. A low, narrow sand
spit, which expands to a width of 1.6 miles at
Coronado North Island on its northern end,
separates the bay from the Pacific Ocean at Coronado Roads and offers excellent protection in most
weather. San Diego Bay encompasses 12,000 acres, and at half-tide, has an area of 18 square miles
and a water volume of 300 million cubic yards.
Ecologically, San Diego Bay is recognized as one of the most important bays of the California coast. It is
a part of the Pacific flyway, a stopover for migrating birds, as well as home to a variety of finfish,
shellfish, turtles, bottom-dwelling invertebrates, and plants that are dependent on the bay. There are
over 50 endangered, threatened, or rare species found in San Diego Bay. The bay is also home to a
fleet of large sport fishing and whale watching vessels. Located at the mouth of the bay are the Point
Loma kelp beds, an important habitat, in addition to world famous diving, snorkeling, and surfing.
San Diego Bay’s extensive shelter from ocean waves makes it one of the finest natural harbors in the
world for commercial, recreational, and military vessels. Three separate marine terminals provide
facilities for a variety of commercial cargo handling and cruise ship operations. Principal cargo includes
lumber, newsprint, fertilizer, fresh, frozen, and canned foodstuffs, automobiles, palm oil, minerals,
and fuel oil. Passenger cruise ships frequent the harbor. In addition, one third of the U.S. Naval Pacific
Fleet is home ported in San Diego Bay, making it instrumental in the National Defense. The Navy has
designated San Diego Bay as a West Coast “megaport.”
Lindbergh Field
Founded in 1928 and dedicated in honor of Charles Lindbergh, San Diego International Airport is the
28th busiest airport in the country in terms of passengers and the busiest single-runway commercial
airport in the nation. It has one runway that is 9,400 feet long and 200 feet wide. Prior to 1928,
Lindbergh Field was a vast mud flat, occasionally covered by water during high tides. The area, now
occupied by runways and buildings, was created as a result of harbor development following the sale
of a $650,000 bond issue in 1927. With these funds, engineers deepened the bay north of the B Street
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Pier and provided deep water berthing along the Embarcadero. The dredged material was used to
reclaim 142 acres of tidelands in what was to become the Lindbergh Field area.
Naval Air Station North Island
North Island derived its name from the original geography. In the nineteenth century, it was referred
to as North Coronado Island. In1886, North and South Coronado Island were purchased by a
developer for development as a residential resort. South Coronado became famous as the city of
Coronado, but fortunately for the Navy, North Coronado was never developed. Instead, Glen Curtiss
opened a flying school and held a lease to the property until the beginning of World War I. In 1917
Congress appropriated the land and it was commissioned as Naval Air Station San Diego. Two airfields
were commissioned on its sandy flats. The Navy started with a tent-covered city known as "Camp
Trouble." The Navy shared the island with the Army Signal Corps’ Rockwell Field until 1937, when the
Army left and the Navy expanded its operations to cover the whole island. During the Second World
War, the land between North and South Coronado, called the Spanish Bight, was filled with dredge
material from the bay.
In 1914, then unknown aircraft builder Glenn Martin took off and demonstrated his pusher aircraft
over the island with a flight that included the first parachute jump in the San Diego area. Other
aviation milestones originating at North Island included the first seaplane flight in 1911, the first midair refueling, and the first non-stop transcontinental flight, both in 1923. One of history's most famous
aviation feats was the flight of Charles A. Lindbergh from New York to Paris in May, 1927. That flight
originated at North Island on May 9, 1927, when Lindbergh began the first leg of his journey. Today,
aircraft carriers: Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71), and Carl Vinson (CVN 70).The USS Vinson arrived in San
Diego in April 2010. It was built in 1980 and had previously spent most of the last five years in
Newport News, VA getting a major facelift. The Vinson left Virginia in January en route to San Diego
when it was rerouted to Haiti to assist with the 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Naval Air Station North
Island is additionally, home to the Navy's only Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles: Mystic (DSRV–1)
and Avalon (DSRV–2). These 50-foot submarines are used to rescue crew members of submarines
trapped underwater. Along the shoreline is a large, semi-circular
building that once housed seaplanes. It is currently used to house
Seahawk helicopters. You can still see the ramp where the seaplanes
once took off and landed. Also along the shoreline are concrete
mooring dolphins used to tie up battleships and smaller aircraft
carriers during WWII.This area was referred to as “Battleship Row.”
Harbor Island
Formed by dredging the main channel of San Diego Bay in order to
deepen the berths for military ships at North Island Naval Air Station,
the U.S. Navy built this recreational island in 1961. More than 12
million cubic yards of sand and mud created this mile-and-a-half long
island. Today, Harbor Island is a resort island and is home to hotels,
marinas, and popular restaurants for the food and city views.At the
west end of the island is a restaurant and working lighthouse called
Tom Ham’s Lighthouse Restaurant. It was opened in 1971 by the late
restaurateur and Shelter
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Island booster Tom Ham. Today the restaurant is in its second generation of family management. The
duel-use operation stems from that Tom Ham wanted a restaurant and the Coast Guard wanted a
lighthouse. Beacon #9, is one of two fully functioning Coast
Guard-sanctioned lighthouses on the bay.
Shelter Island
As early as 1859, what is now known as Shelter Island was
identified on the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey map of
San Diego Harbor as a “shoal or mudbank.” A large
dredging project undertaken in the 1930s and 1940s by the
Harbor Commission raised Shelter Island to 14 feet above
low water and about seven feet above high tide. Dredged
material was also used to create a causeway (Shelter Island
Drive) to connect the island to the mainland. It is now
home to some of the world’s most prestigious yacht
brokers, hotels, and marinas, including the world-famous
San Diego Yacht Club. America’s Cup Harbor is located on
the east side of Shelter Island and was made famous by
local sailor Dennis Conner who turned yacht racing into a
professional sport. Heparticipated in the America’s Cup race nine times and won a total of four
victories. The America’s Cup is the Super Bowl of yacht racing and is highly regarded around the world.
Some of these famous sailboats can be seen cruising around the bay. The America’s Cup World Series
held a portion of its races here in San Diego in November 2011.
Navy Marine Mammal Program
The program started nearly 50 years ago
when the Navy began studying swimming
abilities of dolphins that revealed their
ability to use biosonar, or echolocation, to
detect objects in the water. More than
100 sea lions and dolphins are trained and
used to help protect our waterways. Using
echolocation, dolphins are extremely
adept at finding sea mines or underwater
weapons used to sink ships and kill the
enemy. Once located, the dolphin places a
marker near the mine so it can be avoided or removed. Sea mines are made so that they cannot be
easily set off by animals bumping into them.
Sea lions, which have been used by the Navy since 1975, also have sensory skills that surpass those
found in people. They have incredible vision and can see in low light conditions five times better than
humans. Their excellent eyesight and highly sensitive hearing help them to find objects in murky, deep
water. But sea lions do not work near live mines. Instead, they help train Navy pilots learning how to
drop practice mines. The pilots have a specific mark that they are supposed to hit. The sea lions can go
down and hook up a target. With GPS, the location can be obtained to find out how close they were to
their mark. In addition, the sea lions attach devices to the exercise targets so they can be recovered
easily from the ocean floor.
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Both dolphins and sea lions are trained to protect harbors and ports by detecting and reporting
unauthorized swimmers and divers. The animals are never put in harm’s way. The animals are
extremely well cared for, with the staff boasting that the program is the world's finest marine
mammal veterinary facility. While on the water keep an eye out for the gray zodiacs accompanying
marine mammals on training missions.
Point Loma and Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Behind Shelter Island lies Point Loma, which translates to “hill” in Spanish. Only the northern third of
Point Loma isresidential. The rest is federal land and is mostly Naval facilities known as Naval Base
Point Loma. A road at the top of Point Loma leads to Cabrillo National Monument and Fort Rosecrans
National Cemetery. At the top of the hill are barracks buildings which were part of Fort Rosecrans
(U.S. Army fort) from 1890–1959. The grassy knoll overlooking San Diego Bay is Fort Rosecrans
National Cemetery. Over 90,000 veterans are buried here. The first veterans to be interred were Civil
War Veterans. The cemetery has been full since the Vietnam War.
Bait Docks
The bait docks are owned and operated by Everingham Bros. Bait Co. The business, which now
employs its fourth generation of the Everingham family, has been around since 1951 and is anchored
at the same location in San Diego Bay where it began a century ago. This area is used to store live
sardines and anchovies for the public and sport fishing fleet. Numerous animals, from sea lions to
shore birds, are found along the bait docks in search of a free meal.
Ballast Point
The name Ballast Point was derived from the ballast stones Yankee skippers would collect on their
return journey to Boston. Some New England streets are lined with ballast brought back from San
Diego. Additionally, many of the stones on Ballast Point are from ports around the world. Ballast Point
is a historical landmark and reminder
of the conservation success story of
the gray whales.
They have come back from near
extinction twice in the last 150 years.
Prior to the 1840s gray whales came
into San Diego Bay seeking a calving
and breeding ground. In 1855, Charles
Scammons discovered the breeding
and calving lagoon of Ojo de Liebre in
Baja. Because the whales
congregated in large numbers, it was
easy to hunt them. Whales were
hunted for their oil, or tallow, to be
used as lamp oil. Gray whales were
not the best source of tallow, but due
to their predictable yearly migration
along the coastline they were easy to catch and harvest. In San Diego, whalers killed and brought
grays to Ballast Point, the site of a whale-rendering plant. The plant was built in 1858 and lasted until
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1886. Whaling in San Diego peaked in 1871–1872, when approximately 55,000 gallons of whale oil
was processed. The gray whale population was hit hard by whaling and by 1888 whaling in San Diego
was no longer profitable. It is estimated that only 5,000 of 20,000 individuals remained by the mid
1880s. Between the late 1880s and the early 1900s, gray whale populations started to rebound.
However, gray whale populations took another hard hit with the development of harpoons and
factory ships in the early 1900s. Since that time, laws have been enacted to protect grays from
hunting, and the gray whale population is currently estimated at 20,000 individuals.
Today Ballast Point is part of the San Diego Naval Submarine Base, which is home to Los Angeles-class
fast attack nuclear-powered submarines. The submarine base provides pier-side berthing and support
services for submarines of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Eight attack submarines, one submarine tender, and
one floating dry-dock are home ported at the base. There are no ballistic missile submarines home
ported in San Diego. Also located on Ballast Point is a U.S. Coast Guard facility that houses Coast
Guard cutters. Station San Diego conducts maritime law enforcement and search and rescue missions,
and ensures Homeland Security.
Cabrillo National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument is located in Point Loma and is part of the National Park Service. Point
Loma was first discovered by Europeans on September 28, 1542 when Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a
Portuguese explorer sailing in the service of Spain, led an expedition to explore the west coast of what
is now the United States. Cabrillo described San Diego Bay as “a very good enclosed port,” and
historians believe he probably docked
his flagship on Point Loma’s east
shore, likely at Ballast Point. He
named the bay Bahia San Miguel.
Sixty years later in 1602, a SpanishMexican merchant named Sebastian
Vizcaino discovered the bay and
renamed it San Diego Bay. Cabrillo
National Monument, established in
1913, commemorates Juan Rodríguez
Cabrillo’s voyage of discovery. A
heroic statue of Cabrillo looks out
over the bay that he first sailed into.
On top of the point sits the Old Point
Loma Lighthouse. The lighthouse was lit for the first time in 1855 and only stayed in operation for 36
years because it proved to be a bad location with heavy, dense fogs. A new lighthouse that is still in
operation today was built closer to the water on the tip of Point Loma. Point Loma is the most
southwesterly point in the continental United States. Standing on top of Point Loma at Cabrillo
National Monument you will see one of the best views of the San Diego skyline, the Pacific Ocean and
Mexico. The point extends 4.5 miles, forming a natural protective barrier to San Diego. Looking at the
point you will see a large tower; this tower is the beginning of the 650-acre Point Loma Ecological
Reserve, which extends to the end of the point. This reserve is dedicated to restoring and maintaining
healthy populations of native species through the removal of invasive species.
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Assets and activities afforded by the park include:
 Views: On a clear, winter day you can see downtown San Diego, Mexico, and far out to sea.
 History: Learn more about Juan Cabrillo in the visitor center, and visit the nearby historic
military building to learn about the area’s military history.
 Old Point Loma Lighthouse: San Diego's first lighthouse has been restored to its
 1880s appearance.
 Whale watching from shore: whale overlook, near the lighthouse, is a popular whale-watching
spot, especially in January and February.
 Hiking: A self-guided, two-mile walk begins near the lighthouse. This trail is particularly
pleasant during the spring wildflower bloom.
 Tide Pools: On the west side of the park, this area is accessible by car only.
Zuniga Jetty
On the East side of the channel is Zuniga Jetty. It is a rock jetty built 100 years ago to keep sand from
washing up the coast and altering the entrance to the bay. Story has it that John Wayne ran his boat
aground twice on the jetty when returning from fishing trips in Mexico. Therefore, it is often referred
to as “John Wayne Jetty.”
Point Loma Kelp Beds
Along the coast of California are dense forests of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), a brown algae
that grows in clear, shallow oceans. It requires nutrient-rich water below about 20° C (68° F). Giant
kelp can grow up to two feet a day during the summer months. It is an important habitat for a variety
of organisms. Occasionally, juvenile gray whales can be spotted “playing” in the kelp forest. Alginate, a
kelp-derived carbohydrate, is used in a number of products as a thickening agent. Items include ice
cream, pudding, toothpaste, and even beer. Along the San Diego coastline are the Point Loma beds
and La Jolla kelp bed, both popular fishing sites. It is an important habitat for more than a hundred
fish species and more than a thousand invertebrates.
Coronado Island, Hotel del Coronado, Coronado Boathouse
Coronado Island was first discovered in the early seventeenth century when the Spanish explorer
Sebastian Vizcaino caught sight of a group of islands 17 miles off the coast of southern California and
named them Las Yslas Coronadas, or “the crowned ones.” These men surveyed the territories now
known as San Diego and Coronado, yet failed to settle in the area. For almost 200 years the peninsula
remained bare.
While still under Spanish control in the early nineteenth
century, Coronado was used as a safe harbor by whalers,
who also built hide houses to carry out their work. After
Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, land
grants were issued for various sections of California. In
May 1846, a land grant was issued to Don Pedro Carrillo
for “the island or Peninsula in the Port of San Diego.”
Carrillo’s sold the property just five months later to the
American captain of a trading ship, Bezer Simmons, for
$1,000. The peninsula changed hands several times over
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the next 39 years until it was purchased by Elisha S. Babcock, Jr., Hampton L. Story, and Jacob
Gruendike, for $110,000 in 1885.
The men envisioned a resort community with a world-class hotel. In order to accommodate the
growing number of people journeying to the peninsula, Babcock and Story created the San Diego and
Coronado Ferry Company in 1886, with the ferry completing its first run that same year. In1887, a
groundbreaking ceremony for the Hotel del Coronado was held, with the hotel officially opening
eleven months later. In 1977, the Hotel del Coronado became a National Historic landmark. One of the
most important buildings on Coronado is the Coronado Boathouse, built in 1887. It is here that the
Scripps Institution of Oceanography began in 1903. William E. Ritter, a visionary zoologist from the
University of California, Berkeley, desired a more permanent residence for his studies after spending
summer field sessions along the California coast between 1891 and 1902.
With a recommendation from Fred Baker, a physician and avid shell collector, Ritter set up a
laboratory in the boathouse with his small group of marine researchers (nine in all, including two
women). During that summer they were able to successfully collect impressive specimens of plankton,
soft coral, copepods, and many other species of marine life. As a result, Ritter not only determined
that the San Diego region housed a rich and varied sea life, but that deep-sea depths were accessible
just short distances from the shore. Based on this initial research, Ritter concluded, “There can be no
doubt that a laboratory capable of great things for biological science might be built at San Diego.”
Ritter's work attracted the interest of many prominent San Diegans. Newspaper publisher Edward W.
Scripps, along with his sisters Ellen and Virginia Scripps, were particularly drawn to Ritter's work,
developing a lasting friendship in the process. By the end of that first summer in 1903, the Scripps
family, along with Fred Baker and the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, had formed the “Marine
Biological Association of San Diego,” with the goal of establishing a permanent marine laboratory on
the Pacific coast.
Ritter’s work continued at the Hotel del Coronado’s Boathouse until 1905, at which time a larger site
was secured at the Cove in La Jolla known as the “Little Green Lab.” In 1910, the Institution moved to
its current location at La Jolla Shores. Renamed Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1925, it is now
part of the University of California, San Diego, the UC campus it helped found in 1960.
Los Coronados Islands
Located in Mexican waters, this group consists of three main islands and a smaller islet. They have
gone by many names throughout their colorful history since Juan Cabrillo passed them on his way to
San Diego in 1542. Today they bear the likely names of North Island, Middle Island, and South Island.
 North Coronado Island: Lying just to the east of a deepwater canyon, North Island is
composed of steep volcanic rock that rises abruptly from the sea. The island is host to a fairly
large colony of sea lions and occasional elephant seals.
 Middle Island: The name collectively refers to Middle Coronado Island and the smaller
adjacent Middle Rock. Several species of sea birds nest and raise young here. A small harbor
seal population supports itself here.
 South Island: Largest of the Los Coronados group, South Island is the site of the only human
habitation on the islands. The Republic of Mexico maintains a small naval garrison above a
cove on the lee side that once boasted a casino. Fire and the elements have reclaimed the
remnants of that bygone era. Northern elephant seals and California sea lions share a cove on
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the windward side that is ringed by high, unstable cliffs. To the east, several offshore reefs
host the richest invertebrate habitat south of the Northern Channel Islands.
Marine Protected Areas: Evidence shows that human activities are altering the oceans and
affecting the health and productivity of marine ecosystems around the world. Studies show fish
species in decline, changes in the chemistry of the oceans, and decreases in biodiversity, to name a
few examples. The purpose of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is to reverse this trend and to protect
and restore coastal wildlife and habitats, similar to state and national parks on land. According to the
California Department of Fish and Game, an MPA is “a named, discrete geographic marine or
estuarine area seaward of the mean high tide line or the mouth of a coastal river, including any area
of intertidal or subtidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora and fauna that
has been designated by law or administrative action to protect or conserve marine life and habitat.”
MPAs are primarily intended to protect or conserve marine life and habitat.
In 1999, California became the first in the United States to adopt the Marine Life Protection Act
(MLPA), a law that requires a comprehensive, science-based network of MPAs with a goal of statewide
implementation of the law by 2011. To implement the law, a MLPA Initiative was created that includes
a team of policy advisors, stakeholders, and scientific advisory groups to ensure the process is based
on the best science and an unprecedented level of public participation.
There are three main types of MPAs that were considered in the MLPA:
 State marine reserves: No-take zones. Some recreational, scientific, and educational activities
may take place, but vary from reserve to reserve.
 State marine parks: Some recreational take is allowed; commercial take is prohibited.
Recreational, scientific, and educational activities may take place and, depending on
restrictions, recreational harvest may be allowed.
 State marine conservation areas: Limited recreational and commercial take.
Research, education, and recreational activities, and certain commercial and recreational harvest of
marine resources may be permitted by managing authority.
In December 2010, regulations to create MPAs in Southern California were adopted by the California
Department of Fish and Game. These new MPAs went into effect January 1, 2012 and cover
approximately 354 square miles of state waters and represent about 15% of the region. The southern
California region ranges from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County south to the California border
with Mexico, including offshore islands.
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Section 11: Doing the Presentation
We use a number of props in our presentations that help create a picture of some important aspects
of gray whale natural history. In addition to photographs, we have museum specimens to illustrate in
more detail the amazing adaptations that have occurred during the long evolutionary history of
cetaceans.
Practice and perfect your presentation with the intent of keeping it brief, only about 2 minutes per
topic. The personality, enthusiasm and presentation style will be unique to every Whaler.
The props we use throughout the cruise include:
Laminated National Geographic migration map (optional map you can purchase)
This can be used to discuss the migratory route of the Eastern Pacific Gray Whale while working the
line.
Photograph booklets and gray whale models
There are a number of photographs on whales and birds that you can use throughout the cruise. In
addition, there are models of gray whales to show while cruising through the harbor.
Lumbar vertebrae
There are two lumbar vertebrae from a gray whale (one from a juvenile and one from a calf). There is
also aplastic model of a human vertebra for comparison as well as laminated images of skeletons.
Barnacle and whale lice
A sample barnacle and whale louse (the singular form of lice) is preserved in resin. There are also
laminated images showing details and life cycles.
Baleen and Amphipod
The baleen is a segment of 15 plates. There is also an amphipod preserved in resin as well as
laminated images showing baleen, gray whales feeding and amphipods.
Rope
The rope is marked to show the difference in size between an adult and a calf. Ask any children in the
audience to help you unwind the rope. Please be sure to rewind.
Common Dolphin Skull Model
When no whales are seen this is an opportunity to talk about dolphins. Note the conical teeth.
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Points to Mention in your Presentation
Gray Whale Migration (done mostly while working the line)
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Gray whales spend their summer in the Arctic, feeding and building up their blubber
When the ice forms, they migrate south along the coast all the way to the lagoons in
Baja California, Mexico, where they mate and give birth
In the spring, whales return to the Arctic feeding grounds
Pregnant females are the first to arrive in the lagoons; mothers with calves are the
last to leave
Gray whales travel to San Ignacio Lagoon, Scammon’s Lagoon and Magdalina Bay
The yearly round-trip is 10,000–12,000 miles, one of the longest migrations of any
mammal
Migration one way takes 2–2 ½ months
During the southbound migration (peak in January) we see whales relatively close to
shore, just outside the kelp
During the northbound migration (peak in March) whales travel farther offshore,
near the 9-mile bank
To spot a whale, look for the spout: a plume of water vapor, visible from far away,
which indicates a whale has come up to breathe
Not all gray whales make the long migration every year; some juveniles don’t come
so far south; some gray whales have even been observed spending the winter off
northern Alaska
Vertebrae
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The lumbar vertebrae are from a juvenile and calf. Point out the prominent
projection on the top of the bone—this is called a neural spine, or spinous process.
The spinal cord runs through the opening just below the neural spine. Explain that
the transverse processes are the attachment points for the large muscles that
provide the power to move the tail up and down for swimming.
The laminated picture of a gray whale skeleton shows the lumbar area in red
For comparison, we have a plastic model of a human vertebra to contrast size and
length of the processes
Whales do not have hind legs, but they have a long and powerful tail for propulsion
The large vertebra appears heavy, because of its size, but the bones of whales are
porous and less dense than the bones of land mammals
Heavy bones are not needed, as whales do not support the weight of their bodies on
land
Lighter, more porous bones, are adaptations that make whales more buoyant in
water
FYI: Gray whales and humans both have 7 cervical (neck) vertebrae. Gray whales have a total of 56
vertebrae vs. 33 in humans. Interestingly, giraffes also have 7 cervical vertebrae.
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Barnacles and Whale Lice
Use the barnacles and whale lice to discuss the life cycles and unique characteristics of these
organisms that spend most, if not all, of their lives on the bodies of whales.
Barnacles
The gray whale barnacle (Cryptolepas rhachianecti) is species specific, meaning it will attach and
develop only on gray whales. For review see page 20.
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Gray whale barnacles reproduce when the whales are in the warm lagoons of Baja California
There is a free-swimming larval stage (nauplius), where they feed and molt several times
before metamorphosing into a second larval stage (cyprid)
During the brief second larval stage, the larvae seek out and attach to a whale and
permanently cement themselves into the skin
The larvae attach with cement glands in their modified antennae
Within twelve hours after attachment, the barnacle builds a shell made of several plates
The adult barnacle will stay positioned with its head down and feed on plankton and organic
debris that is “swept” into their mouth with their feather-like legs.
Whale Lice
Whale Lice (Cyamid spp.) are crustaceans (related to shrimp and lobsters), not insects. For review see
page 20.
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Gray whales are host to 3–4 species of whale lice, of which are specific to the gray whale
Whale lice have direct development, there are no larval stages, young are born looking exactly
like miniature adult whale lice
Female whale lice have a brood pouch that hold their young
Whale lice are passed from the mother whale to offspring through body contact
Whale lice are mostly found around barnacles, skin folds, ventral grooves, the blowhole, eyes,
wounds and genital slit
Whale lice have sharp hooks on their lower 3 pairs of legs, which they use to hold on to the
whale’s skin or around the barnacles
Whale lice are not parasites, rather they feed on dead skin around barnacles and wounds
Baleen and Feeding Strategies
Use the baleen to explain in detail how it is attached inside the animal’s mouth; show an example of
an amphipod, and describe how gray whales feed. For review see page 12.
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Gray whales, like all baleen whales, have no teeth; instead, they have baleen, which hangs
down from the upper palate of the whale’s mouth
Our specimen has 15 plates; an adult gray whale has a total of 130–180 on either side
Baleen is made of keratin, the same substance as in our fingernails and hair
The fringed part is on the inside
Baleen plates act as a filtering mechanism, somewhat like a colander used for pasta
All species of baleen whales, with the exception of the gray whale, take in huge amounts of
water containing food items (plankton, krill and/or small fish), push out the water through the
baleen with their tongues, and retain the food particles
Gray whales are unique: they are bottom feeders
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In the Arctic, there are crustaceans called amphipods that live in the ocean sediment
To feed, gray whales turn on one side, scoop up the sediment, filter it out through their
baleen, retaining the amphipods, and using their large tongue, scrape the prey off the baleen
and then swallow them
While summer feeding in the Arctic, a 35-ton whale can consume 4,200 lbs of food per day, or
6% of its body weight daily
Our amphipod specimen is a typical species of amphipod but not the one gray whales feed on
Dolphin Skull Model
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This is a model of a common dolphin skull
Note the many conical teeth that all look the same
The common dolphin has the most teeth (41–54 pairs in each jaw) of any of the dolphins
The dolphin has two nasal passages (like humans) but only one blowhole
The skull is hollowed out on the top where the melon is located
Discuss the four types of dolphin seen off the San Diego Coast: Risso’s, Common, Pacific
White-sided, and Bottlenose
Mention that Orcas are also dolphin
Museum
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Our location—corner of Park Boulevard and Village Place, just south of the zoo
What whale-related things you can see
Fossil Mysteries—a walk through time in San Diego featuring fossils that were found in this
area. It’s the prehistory of the area as told by the fossil record
Coast to Cactus—Highlights the habitats of San Diego area
Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People: The History of Citizen Science—rare books on
display in our library that highlight ordinary citizens and their passions for science
Current traveling exhibition—for winter 2016-2017, Animals: Machines in Motion is open until
January 1; then Ultimate Dinosaurs will open February 25, 2017
For a sample script see page 68.
Suggestions for Engaging Visitors
Don’t be shy—these folks are on a 3½-hour cruise and only see the whales for about ½ hour. Approach
children and families. They are the easiest to engage.
Introduce yourself immediately:
“Hi, I’m ___________________, a volunteer naturalist from the San Diego Natural History Museum.
We’re here to help you enjoy your cruise and answer your questions about the marine life you will
see.”
Ask them questions to get the ball rolling:
“First time seeing whales?”
“Are you from out of town or do you live here in San Diego?”
“Do you know how far these whales travel on their annual migration?”
“Do you know how the whales feed?”
Add any interesting facts you remember from your training. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know,
that’s a great question.”
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It’s Okay to Not Know All the Answers
This is from the Grandest of All Lives: Eye to Eye with Whales by Douglas H. Chadwick. It's something
to keep in mind as interact with passengers.
"Whenever I asked experts about aspects of humpback natural history, at least 90 percent of the
replies I got were variations of 'Beats me.' It was frustrating at first, given that this is the best studied
of the great whales. The scientists were just being honest, letting me know that whale research is a
terrific frontier in which to go looking for answers but a tough place to find any. When scientists spend
countless hours among the waves, burning fuel and breaking equipment, getting sunburned,
windblown, tossed around, beat up, and every so often scared to death, they really feel like they
ought to be coming away with some conclusions. But the best they get most of the time is the ability
to speculate more intelligently about what they saw. The trick is not to confuse the two, succumbing
to what I call the tour guide syndrome.
Some of the folks employed as naturalists on whale watching boats have a terrible time saying, 'I don't
know.' After all, they're supposed to be informative. So when someone asks what's going on with the
whales in view, you can count on some guides to assemble their best guesses into a story line and
present it as fact. For example: 'That male probably got run off by the bigger male over by the cow
and calf we passed, so he's pretty wound up right now, and that's why he's sitting there lob-tailing.' It
sounds plausible. It satisfies the customer. It might well be true. But if the teller of the tale has proof
of a connection between frustration and lob-tailing, he or she ought to publish it, because no scientist
has. We all contend daily with the difference between what we know and what we think we know.
Whale researchers have to be ever vigilant."
Remember this the next time you are tempted to say, "They put on a good show." We don't know if
the whale is behaving in a particular way because it wants to entertain us or if it's just doing its natural
behavior.
Some Ways to Spice up Your Presentations
Interesting Tidbits about the Gray Whale
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During the feeding season a gray whale typically consumes about 6% of its body weight daily.
The fat content of gray whale milk is 40–50%. Cow’s milk is about 4–5% fat. Beluga milk has
736 calories/cup (92 calories/ounce).
A gray whale pregnancy lasts about 2 months longer than a human pregnancy, but by the time
it’s born, a calf weighs about 187 times as much as a typical human baby (1,500 lbs. versus 8
lbs.).
During its lifetime of 50–60 years, the total distance covered during migration by a gray whale
may be 600,000 miles. This is greater than a trip to the moon and back or equal to 24 trips
around the world (at the equator), or 170 trips from San Diego to Boston.
Interesting Tidbits about Blue Whales
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They are believed to be the largest mammal ever to have inhabited the earth.
Their heart is as large as a Volkswagen beetle.
A child can call through the blue whale’s aorta.
Blue whales can consume up to 4 tons of food per day.
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During the nursing period, blue whale calves consume 100 gallons (379 liters) of the fat-rich
mother's milk each day, gain 200 pounds a day, or 8 pounds an hour, and grow 1.5 inches in
length a day.
Sample Story Script: Migration
We’ve already mentioned that the gray whales undertake one the longest migration of any mammal
on earth. Do you wonder why? In fact several species of whales are long distance migrators.
As we’ve said, the gray whales spend the summer feeding in the rich, productive waters of the arctic.
Why not just stay there all year? These areas in winter have little food and are cold and dark for many
months. And they also ice completely over, cutting the whales off from the surface where they must
breathe. So the whales swim southward to the lagoons of Baja California, where the days are sunny
and the water is 30 degrees warmer than in the arctic. But you might ask why do they swim so far?
Nobody knows for sure, but it’s interesting to note that the whales must constantly swim to stay
afloat. So if their summer home freezes over in winter and they have to swim constantly anyway, they
might as well swim to a place such as the lagoons where it is an ideal location to mate and give birth.
That leads us to one last question. If the lagoons are such great places, why not stay there year round?
The answer, quite simply, is that there is not enough food in the lagoons to sustain the whales. They
consume about 6%–8% of their body weight per day.
Sample Script on Museum
We are volunteer naturalists for the San Diego Natural History Museum, and would like to take the
opportunity to tell you about a few of the exhibits. The museum is located in beautiful Balboa Park at
the corner of Park Boulevard and Village Place just south of the zoo. Balboa Park is home to 15
museums and many gardens.
If you’d like to learn more about whales and marine mammals, our museum is a great place to start. In
Fossil Mysteries, there are examples of an ancient baleen whale which looked similar to the modernday gray whale. There are casts of other marine animals, such as the extinct Megalodon, which was
the largest predatory shark of all time (at 40 feet), and an extinct sea cow that used to live off the
coast of San Diego.
Coast to Cactus, takes you through the diverse habitats of Southern California and highlights some of
the plants and animals that live here. You will find a full size gray whale skull on exhibit.
On the first level there is a full size fin whale skull, the second largest whale after the blue whale.
While you are visiting, don’t miss the Skulls exhibit on the third floor where you can see how a dolphin
skull compares to a human skull.
We hope to see you at the Museum soon.
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Section 12: Facts You Should Know
You’ve encountered much of this information in other parts of this manual. You’ve heard much more
in the lectures. You should know at least the information below.
Whales in General
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Whales belong to a group of related animals called cetaceans. Other members of this group
are dolphins and porpoises. For review see page 11.
There are two basic groups of cetaceans:
o Those with teeth (odontocetes)
o Those with baleen plates instead of teeth (mysticetes)
Moby Dick (a sperm whale) was an odontocete; other members of this group include Orcas
(killer whales) and other dolphins
Gray whales are mysticetes
Other baleen whales now seen regularly in Southern California waters are blue, fin, minke and
humpback whales
At a maximum length of about 100 ft., the largest animal on earth is the blue whale
Gray Whale
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Gray whales are baleen whales. For review see Section 4 beginning on page 15.
They are 45–46 ft. and typically weigh between 30–40 tons
Gray whales, like other mysticetes, use baleen plates to filter their food. However, unlike
other baleen whales, they usually feed on the bottom, taking in mouthfuls of sediment and
straining out small crustaceans, called amphipods, and tubeworms
Gray whales undertake what may be one of the longest migrations of any mammal on earth.
They spend summers feeding in the Arctic, and starting in fall travel to lagoons on the Pacific
side of Baja California to give birth and mate during the winter months
The round trip is between 10,000 and 12,000 miles long and each leg of the journey takes
about 2–2 ½ months
Gray whales were once close to extinction. Through protection offered by the Endangered
Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, their numbers have increased to around
19,000 animals according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
counts from 2014. In 1994, they were taken off the Endangered Species List.
Rorquals
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All rorquals are baleen whales, but not all baleen whales are rorquals. For review see Section 5
beginning on page 23.
The gray whale is not a rorqual (it is an Eschrichtius robustus)
The 4 species most often seen in our area are:
o Blue whale (Not only the largest of all baleen whales, but the largest animal that ever
lived)
o Fin whale (The fastest of the baleen whales [“Greyhound of the Sea”] can swim bursts of
up to 25 knots)
o Humpback whale (Best known for their powerful displays of breaching, spyhopping, tail
and flipper slapping, and the haunting songs of males)
o Minke whale (The smallest of the rorquals, the “elusive whale” with only a faint blow)
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All rorquals are characterized by throat grooves or pleats (There are typically 50–100 throat
grooves which allow them to greatly expand the lower part of their mouth for lunge or gulp
feeding; Feeding is further explained under whale feeding strategies below)
Rorquals make seasonal movements (They follow food sources; though they do not do a
coastal migration like gray whales, therefore, sightings are less predictable)
Minke whale
Humpback whale
Gray whale
Blue whale
Fin whale
Size comparison of the mysticetes in our area; The gray whale averages 45 feet
long. Unlike the other whales in this picture, the gray whale is not a rorqual.
Whale Feeding Strategies
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All baleen whales use their baleen plates to strain their food. For review see page 13.
Three different techniques:
o “Skimmers” (Right and Bowhead whales swim with their mouth open, filtering out food)
o “Gulpers,” also called Lunge Feeding, the whales expand their throat grooves accordion
style; Rorquals lunge against swarms of krill or fish, take in huge amounts of water,
contract the throat grooves, pushing out the water, retaining and swallowing the food;
Lunge feeders we typically see are blue whales, fin whales, and humpbacks off the coast
of San Diego
o “Bottom Feeders” gray whales feed at the ocean bottom. They take in sediment
containing prey items, and filter out through the baleen.
“Bubble Net Feeding” is a special strategy used by humpback whales. It is a form of lunge feeding,
done individually, or cooperatively as a group.
Food Preferences
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Blue whales: krill
Other rorquals: krill and also small schooling fish
Gray whales: the most versatile, mostly feed on amphipods and tube worms at ocean bottom,
but also can skim for krill, and lunge feed on mysids (small shrimp-like crustaceans) in the
water column
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Dolphins
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Dolphins belong to the odontocetes, toothed
whales. For review see Section 6 beginning on page
31.
The 4 species most often seen in our area are:
o Common dolphin, often encountered in huge
pods, will bow ride
o Pacific white-sided dolphin, also seen in large
pods
 Falcate dorsal fin with a white wash
 No pronounced beak
o Bottlenose dolphin, somewhat larger than the
first two species
 Individuals trained by Navy seen in bay
 Offshore bottlenose dolphins are larger
and further offshore than coastal
bottlenose
o Risso’s dolphin, the largest of the four species
 High dark dorsal fin, blunt snout,
characteristic scratches
 Seen around 9-mile bank
Dolphins feed on squid and fish
Very sophisticated special sense of echolocation for orientation and finding food
Highly social, use sound and touch to communicate
Difference between dolphins and porpoises:
o The only true difference is the shape of their teeth: Dolphins have conical teeth; Porpoises
have spade-like (flat) teeth
o Generally, porpoises are small and don’t have a pronounced beak (this is also true of some
dolphins)
o No porpoises in our immediate area
o Vaquita in Sea of Cortez is the most endangered porpoise
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Sea Lions and Seals (Pinnipeds)
For review see Section 7 beginning on page 41.
Main Differences between Sea Lions and Seals
California Sea Lion
Harbor Seals
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Outer Ear flaps
Long front and hind flippers
Can rotate hind flippers forward to
walk on land
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Swim with rowing motion with front
flippers
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No outer ear flaps
Short flippers
Hind flippers cannot rotate forward
Move on land with undulating motion
of the body
Swim with sideways motion with rear
end and hind flippers
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On Hornblower cruises we mostly see California sea lions:
o On the buoys
o Swimming; they “porpoise,” looking almost like dolphins
o At the bait dock
Sexually mature male California sea lions are more than 3 times as heavy as females and have
a distinctive lighter colored sagittal crest on their head
All 3 species of pinnipeds (California sea lions, harbor seals, and elephant seals) in our area
have breeding colonies on the Los Coronados Islands, Mexico
Pupping season for:
o Harbor seals and elephant seals is in the winter
o California sea lions is in June–July
Pinnipeds feed on different kinds of fish and squid
Seabirds
Review Section 9 beginning on page 49, you should be able to identify:
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Great blue heron (seen on the bait docks) large gray bird with long legs
Snowy egret (seen on the bait docks) solid white bird with black legs and yellow feet
Brown pelican (can be seen anywhere) large soaring, gray-brown bird with large bill
Differences between a double-crested cormorant and a Brandt’s cormorant (mostly Brandt’s
cormorant out to sea); double-crested cormorants have orange around bill and chin; Brandt’s
cormorants have brown around the chin
Western gull (large gull, most common gull in winter)
Differences between a tern and a gull (terns are almost all white, red/orange tapered bill)
Surf scoter (black duck sitting on the water in the harbor; males with bright orange bill, and
white patch on back of head)
Recognize the flight pattern of a shearwater (series of wing flaps, then a glide)
A large group of birds flying about and sitting on the water in one spot often indicates the presence of
fish, and maybe dolphins.
Know all the Points to Mention in your Presentation (See page 64.)
The topics are:




Vertebrae (See page 64.)
Barnacles and Whale Lice (See page 20.)
Baleen and Feeding Strategies (See page 12.)
San Diego Natural History Museum Sample Script (See page 68.)
Some Questions We Have Been Asked in Past Seasons
Do whales sleep?
Some scientists believe that whales "catnap" so that at least part of their brain is aware of what is
going on around them. Since whales and dolphins have to breathe consciously (humans are
"unconscious" breathers—we breathe even in our sleep), they also have to wake up to take a breath.
Some scientists have postulated that dolphins and whales sleep with half a brain—half their brain
rests while the other half stays alert. Recently, though, other researchers have come to doubt this.
Source: Gulf of Marine Aquarium
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What is the closest living relative to the whale?
Hippos are the closest living relatives of whales, but they
are not the ancestors of whales. Hippos are large and
semi-aquatic, but their ancestors were small and
terrestrial, as were the ancestors of whales. The ancient
relatives of hippos, called anthracotheres, were not large
or aquatic. Hippos likely evolved from a group of
anthracotheres about 15 million years ago.
Anthracotherium magnum, the hippo’s ancestor
© Dmitry Bogdanov - [email protected]
Source: Understanding Evolution. 2014. University of California
Museum of Paleontology. Retrieved: 9 December 2014 (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/)
How many vertebrae does a gray whale have in comparison to a human?
The vertebral formula for the gray whale, based on a skeleton in the British Museum consists of 7
cervical, 14 thoracic, 14 lumbar, and 21 caudal for a total of 56 vertebrae. Typically, these vary
somewhat from one individual to another. Source: [email protected]
A human has 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, plus the sacrum (5 fused vertebrae) and the coccyx (4
fused vertebrae) for a total of 33 vertebrae. The coccyx is analogous to the caudal vertebrae in whales.
How do gray whales get fresh water if they live in an ocean full of salt water?
Gray whales and all other whales get fresh water (drinking water) from their food. They will also get
some of their drinking water from ocean water they swallow. The kidneys of whales are extremely
well developed, and are able, to some extent, to filter out the salt from the water. Source:
oceanlink.island.net
Do whales eat while in their winter breeding
grounds?
Not much. During the months in the lagoons of Baja
California, gray whales survive mostly on fat reserves
built up in the summer feeding grounds. They can
feed on krill and mysids during migration, if the
opportunity is available.
Southbound Pregnant Female
Do gray whales lose a lot of weight while migrating?
A 30-ton whale will expend so much energy on the
migration to the Baja lagoons that it may lose fully
eight tons of blubber. By early summer, most gray
whales are back at their northern feeding grounds.
Over the next five months they will gain back an
estimated 16 to 30 percent of their total body
weight. Source:
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/search/GWhaleNotes3.htm
Photo: courtesy of Wayne Perryman
Northbound Cow and Calf
Cow and calf northbound
Photos courtesy of Wayne Perryman
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Rorqual and Gray Whale Comparisons
Length
Weight
Blow
Fluke
Throat
Grooves
Baleen
Lunge
Feed
Gestation
Calf
Speed
Population
BLUE
FIN
HUMPBACK
MINKE
GRAY
Northern
Hemisphere
to 85'
Southern
Hemisphere
to 100'
78-85'
40-48'
26-35'
45-46’
120-150 tons
50-70 tons
25-40 tons
10 tons
30-40 tons
30'
20'
15' bushy
May not be
visible
To 15', heart
shaped
25'
Identical to
blue but rarely
seen
18'
5-6’ rarely
flukes
10-12'
55-68
50-100
14-24
50-70
N/A
260-400 each
side
Usually black
length 20-40”
260-470 each
side
blue-grey on
left white on
right
length 36”
270-400 each
side
black
length 30”
280-300 each
side
yellowish
length 11”
130-180 each
side off white
Krill up to 4
tons/day
(40 million
krill)
Krill &
schooling fish
2 tons/day
Krill, fish
up to 1.5
tons/day
(bubble net)
Krill, fish
Bottom feed
on amphipods
11-12 mo.
Nurse 7-8 mo.
11-12 mo.
Nurse 6-8 mo.
12 mo.
Nurse 1 year
10-11 mo.
Nurse 6 mo.
12-13 mo.
23', 3 tons
eat 100
gal/day
gain 8 lbs/hr
14-20'
2 tons
10-15'
one ton
10'
1000 lbs.
15'
1100-1500 lbs.
Usually 12 mph
with bursts
to 30 mph
Up to 23 mph
(greyhound
of the sea)
Slow moving
16-20 mph
3-5 mph
2-3,000
in
Northern
Hemisphere
N/A
30-40,000
>1 million
~18,000
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Section 13: Volgistics and Sightings Log
Using Volgistics
Volgistics allows volunteers to view and manage schedules; sign-up for vacant schedule openings;
print schedules; receive news and messages from the volunteer office; log volunteer hours; check
service records; print service reports; and change passwords.
To Access Volgistics
Go to https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=146834 . You can also find a link at
sdnhm.org/sdnatvolunteers or on the museum’s website at sdnat.org/volunteers
The first time you login, your temporary password is welcome.
Once you enter your temporary password you will be asked to change it. Make it something you will
not forget and don’t worry about something complicated. It can be as simple as “password.” Do not
use special characters.
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Scheduling Cruises
Use the My Schedule tab to sign up for
an opening in the schedule.
Click any Help Wanted link and then
click Schedule Me. It will ask you to
confirm your choice. Once you do, it’s
now viewable on the calendar. You’ll
notice at the bottom of the screen is a
Printable View. This could come in
handy. Sign ups are on a first comefirst served basis. If you don’t see Help
Wanted there are no more openings.
You may remove yourself from the
schedule up to 4 days prior to your
shift. If it is after 4 days, you will need
to email [email protected] to
remove you from the calendar. You
should also notify at least one other
person who has signed up for that day.
Note that you can see who else has
signed up once you click on the Help
Wanted sign.
Logging Hours
Logging your hours is simple. Go to
Time Sheet or click on Post Your Hours
at the Home screen.
Only the assignments that you are
eligible for will show in the “Which
assignment did you serve in?” field.
Enter the number of hours and the
roundtrip miles if you wish to keep
track. Click Continue. It will ask you to
confirm.
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Sightings Log Instructions/Guidelines
*Please Print Clearly!
Gray Whales
 Count whales only once – not the
same whale seen multiple times
 Record northbound or southbound
movement
 When counting moms and calves,
count each pair once – don’t count
the individual animals
Behavior
 Check the behaviors seen during
cruise
 Specify details (ie. which species of
whale fluked)
Dolphins
 No Ranges
 Estimate ~ for every one seen at
surface multiple x5
·
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Section 14: On Board the Hornblower, Cruise Info and More
Day of the Cruise
What to Wear
Dress warmly, but in layers. It might be beautiful in San Diego but when you’re on the water,
temperatures drop. Sunscreen, lip balm, a hat, and gloves are good ideas. Always wear your name
badge and carry your volunteer photo ID. Museum Whalers wear yellow windbreakers with our logo
prominently displayed on the back. One extra large windbreaker is stored on board. You may borrow
the jacket for the cruise but please do not take it home.
Checking on the Weather
If you have any doubt about the weather and boating conditions, call Hornblower Whale & Dolphin
Adventure Cruises at 619.238.5464 after 8 AM to make sure they are going that day. Trips are
cancelled only when thick fog impacts visibility, or seas are rough. Trips are generally not cancelled for
light rain. Unfortunately, you will probably be en route or already at the dock when they make the
decision to cancel the trip. If you arrive and the trip has been cancelled the Hornblower will provide a
free pass for a harbor cruise.
Picking Up Your Ticket
You must check in at the Ticket Booth for a ticket at least 30-45 minutes before the cruise. For
directions to the ticket booth, see following section below.


9 AM for the 9:30–1 PM cruise
1 PM for the 1:30–5 PM cruise
Bringing Guests
We would like you to fully concentrate on your duties as a Museum Whaler. Do not bring children,
family or friends on board during your volunteer hours.
Hornblower Cruises and Events Contact Information
Ticket Booth 619-725-8836
Website www.hornblower.com
Cruise Schedule Daily: 9:30 AM–1 PM and 1:30–5 PM mid-December through April (dates vary by
year)
Contacts
Rebecca Milkey
Director Marketing
[email protected]
619.725.8853
Kelly Johnson
Public Cruise & Guest Services Manager
[email protected]
619.725.8813
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Captains
Eric Gustafson
Julie Peet
Tom Balistreri
Chad Cummings
Joe Dutra
Bob Kurtz
Finding Your Way to the Pier
The ticket booth is located near the Navy Pier—970 North Harbor Drive
Directions to Ticket Booth
Driving south on I-5 take the Front St/Civic Center Exit. Go 3 blocks, turn right on Ash St, and follow
Ash St to the waterfront. Turn left on North Harbor Drive. The Hornblower Ticket Booth will be on the
right side.
Driving north on I-5 exit Hawthorne St/Airport Exit, veer left, staying on Hawthorne St, and follow
west to North Harbor Dr. Turn left on North Harbor Drive. The Hornblower Ticket Booth will be on the
right side.
Parking
Public parking is recommended, as the metered parking does not allow enough time for this cruise
and there is a two-hour limit even on Sundays and holidays. Ace Parking is located on the USS Midway
parking lot one block from the ticket booth. Enter parking lot off of N. Harbor Dr. on right. Cost is
$10/day. There are also 5-Star Parking lots at the corner of Pacific Highway and Broadway and
approximately 1.2 miles away on the corner of Grape Street and Harbor Drive. Both are $12/day.
Public Transportation
The San Diego Trolley is also close by (at the Sante Fe Depot) as well as the San Diego Transit buses.
Some Whalers park at Old Town and then take the trolley to the Sante Fe Depot. Tickets are $2.50 one
way for general public and $1.25 for seniors. See http://www.sdcommute.com/ for complete
information on Public Transportation.
Combating Seasickness
Prepared by Captain Tam Thacher
Prevention is Key
Preventing nausea is your key weapon against seasickness. Find a haven on the boat where the
motion is at its minimum and which allow your eyes to gaze at the horizon. The higher the deck, the
more swaying you’ll feel. The center of the boat, rather than the bow or stern, is the calmest area.
Avoid any areas that smell of diesel or exhaust fumes, and don’t stay in one place too long and get
sleepy.
When the boat is slowing down and remains idling while viewing animals, your resistance to motion
sickness diminishes rapidly. Lack of fresh air and inactivity can intensify symptoms. Not responding to
preliminary triggers is ignoring the remedy. When alarms signal nausea, headache, sleepiness, or
dizziness, be ready to react to avoid vomiting. Getting a good night’s sleep and being well rested
increases endurance.
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Food
Food choices do help. What you consume prior to a trip may make a difference. Reduce consumption
of greasy, acidic and heavy food. A meal of warm starchy, bland, light food is a good choice. Do not
skip eating before boating. An empty stomach can be almost as bad as one full with the wrong types
of food. Eating 1–2 hours before departure is best, especially carbohydrates with some fluids.
Hydration
Know your liquids. Water is an excellent choice. Coffee and caffeine have different effects on people.
Flavored water, tea, hot cocoa, soup, sport drinks, apple juice, almond, soy or cow’s milk are all terrific
choices. The more fluid you can consume is beneficial beyond words, both on and off the water.
Ginger
Almost all products with ginger, including crystallized ginger or ginger snaps, seem to help people
(most ginger ales contain no ginger). Many add peppermint for additional stomach-calming effect.
Pressure point wristbands
In order to help, Sea Bands and PSI Bands have to produce a constant pressure on the pressure point
located about 1–1/2” below the crease to the wrist. Can be purchased at Target or many pharmacies.
Over the counter medications type products
Chemical remedies include OTC products and in extreme cases injectables for offshore. There are
many antihistamines that have proven successful. Use the web to see a complete list of current
choices. All are marketed as Antimetic Products claiming similar results. The most common drugs used
are:
 Bonine, Dramanine ll—both are Meclizine
 Dramamine—Dimenhydrinate
 Bonine for Kids—Cyclizine HCL
Both organic and chemical methods work; it’s finding the right combination with the sea conditions.
Personal prevention means finding a solution. Over the counter (OTC) medications need to be taken
before departure, many hours early if conditions are expected to be rough. If I know I’m going out in
rough sea, I will often take Dramamine—the drowsy version—the night before to get a head start, and
then I take a Non-Drowsy or Bonine formula the next morning. Read the directions on the package.
OTC products and natural remedies pose problems for boaters when used with prescriptive drugs. Just
remember don’t be mixing your own cocktail of OTC drugs unless you know what you’re doing. If
taking prescriptions, discuss with your doctor the best choice for you. Check before combining,
including ginger products and herbal remedies. What works for one person may be contrary for you.
Remember: Passenger Safety including seasick issues are the Hornblower’s responsibility. Do not
give passengers anything. You don’t know if they have allergies.
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Section 15: References
Sources for Handbook
Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Edited by Perrin, Wuersig, Thewissen, second edition, 2009
Audubon Guide to the Marine Mammals of the World, Randall Reeves et al, 2002
James Sumich, E. robustus: The biology and human history of gray whales, 2014
Douglas H. Chadwick, The Grandest of Lives: Eye to Eye with Whales, 2006
Jim Darling, Humpbacks: Unveiling the Mysteries, 2009
Hal Whitehead and Luke Rendell, The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins, 2015
Web Resources
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Many of these sites have links to others.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—noaa.gov
Scripps Institution of Oceanography—sio.ucsd.edu
American Cetacean Society—acsonline.org
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society—whales.org
Marine Mammal Center—marinemammalcenter.org
Monterey Bay Aquarium—montereybayaquarium.org
Cornell University—birds.cornell.edu
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