?It?s like butter out there today,? comments Captain Dan Salas, CEO of Harbor Breeze Cruises, and our whale-watching guide for this morning?s excursion.
Butter is apparently the optimal consistency for spotting some of the world?s largest creatures as they glide past Long Beach, CA on route to the balmy climes of Baja, Mexico.
Flat, glassy water makes it easier to see blows (the plumes of water formed when a whale exhales at the surface) and fluke prints (the discolored patches of water caused by the powerful upstroke of a whale?s tail as it propels itself along near the surface), both telltale signs that a cetacean appearance is imminent.
However, neither the migrating grey whales nor the endangered fin whales are cooperating so far this morning, and after stopping at two regular feeding grounds we have yet to encounter any of the majestic creatures.
No one is remotely bothered by this?we are too busy being entertained by a rare superpod of common dolphins that has swarmed around the catamaran.
As the water around us fills with splashing tails, we are treated to the sight of thousands (five according to the crew?s estimate) of dolphins leaping alongside the vessel and playing in its wake.
?This really is quite something,? enthuses Captain Salas, who has clearly retained his enjoyment of marine mammal sightings even after 22 years in the business.
The waters off the California coastline are a giant all-you-can-eat buffet of squid, anchovies, sardines, and krill, making them a prime feeding ground for whales and dolphins and an ideal sightseeing location for wildlife lovers.
Unfortunately, the area also happens to be one of the world?s busiest shipping lanes; the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach unload 40% of all U.S. goods imported from Asia.
Creating an oceanic superhighway that runs directly through such attractive habitat is bad news for marine mammals: at least 90 whales have been struck by ships on the West Coast over the past 14 years, many of them endangered.
As Monica DeAngelis, marine mammal biologist at NOAA?s National Marine Fisheries Service points out, this figure may be even higher.
?The statistics we have represent the minimum number of animals that have been ship struck,? she said.
?There are probably more, but we only see those that wash up on the beach.?
Just last month, a 40-foot fin whale washed ashore on Malibu?s Point Dume, exhibiting injuries that experts say were consistent with a ship strike.
As if to further prove the point, our first fin whale of the day surfaces within 100 yards of Whiskey Buoy? right in the middle of the shipping lane.
Captain Salas keeps a respectful distance as it casually meanders along the surface before disappearing back to the relative safety of the ocean?s depths.
The marine mammal team at the Aquarium of the Pacific hopes that at least some whale fatalities will be avoided by adjusting the shipping lanes in Southern California, a measure that has just been approved by the International Maritime Organization.
Later this year, the southbound traffic lane will shift one nautical mile north to give migrating whales more space to feed, a decision that was made after several years of collaboration between the IMO, the U.S. Coastguard, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Other changes include extending the three lanes in the approach to San Francisco Bay, which will improve maritime safety by keeping vessels on a dedicated route through prime fishing grounds, reducing interaction between fishing vessels and commercial ships.
?We think this is basically a two for one,? said Ms. DeAngelis. ?We get to improve vessel safety while hopefully reducing the number of ship strikes involving whales.?
For those of you wondering why whales don?t just ?get out of the way? when they see a 1,200-foot container ship headed in their general direction, the answer may not be as simple as you might expect.
?A lot of people ask us that,? said Ms. DeAngelis. ?But the truth is there?s a lot we don?t know about whales and their behavior.?
?Some people have reported that blue whales appear to be headed toward a ship rather than diving rapidly to avoid a collision,? she added.
?There?s a lot of complexity from the whales? side.?
With the onus being on boat owners and jet skiers to avoid collisions with marine mammals, the team is keen to emphasize the importance of water safety.
?We?ve seen the damage propeller damage can do to a whale and everyone plays a role in preventing it,? says Kera Mathes, marine biologist at the Aquarium of the Pacific and head of the whale identification program.
?It?s good to be responsible, to be aware.?
As we head back toward a beautifully sunny Rainbow Harbor (with just a hint of Los Angeles smog marring the air above it), a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins swims under the bow of the boat.
Minutes later, we pass a snoozing elephant seal, and as we pull into the entrance to the harbor, two sea lions lazily wave a flipper.
The Southern California coastline truly is a paradise for fans of marine life, and thanks to the conservation efforts of the team at the Aquarium of the Pacific and many like-minded organizations, it will hopefully remain so for many years to come.
To find out more about endangered whale species, environmental threats, and current conservation efforts, visit the Aquarium of the Pacific?s award-winning Whales: Voices in the Sea multimedia exhibit.
To find out more about Harbor Breeze Cruises? whale watching tours, visit the organization?s website. Combo tickets are also available for purchase at the Aquarium.
Tickets cost $45.95 for adults ages 12 and up, $41.95 for seniors aged 62+, and $30.95 for children under 12 (all tickets include a two and a half hour whale watch tour in addition to Aquarium admission).
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