Wayward gray whale in Marina del Rey channel receives its own babysitter
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Marina del Rey’s resident gray whale is getting an assist in the form of a “babysitter” from the National Marine Fisheries Service. An agent from the fisheries service has been tasked with watching the young whale, protecting it from boaters and other onlookers who’ve been getting too close for wildlife officials’ comfort, and generally watching for signs of trouble that would signal a need for human intervention to get the creature out of the Marina del Rey channel where it’s been swimming for the past several weeks.
California gray whales typically migrate from Baja California (where they breed and give birth) north to Alaska every year between February and May. The Marina del Rey whale appears to be a “straggler,” and while it appears to be in good health, its long stopover in California is cause for concern. From the Associated Press:
Each year, between seven and 12 gray whales wash up dead on the shore of their migration route, while the total number of whales in the migration is more than 20,000. The giant animal also poses logistical problems for boaters, who are being told to stay far from it or face a fine. Staff at Marina Del Rey Boat Rentals has been discouraging people from renting boats, especially since speeding is a common problem among novice boaters and the whale could be struck.
Although they’re worried about the whale’s safety in the shallow marina waters, thus far wildlife officials have been reluctant to interfere. “You never know if it’s going to be successful,” Joe Cordaro, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service, told the Associated Press. “You would be applying stress to the animal. It will use up its metabolic reserves, which it needs to make it up to Alaska.”
-- Lindsay Barnett
Video: latony37 via YouTube