How Do Gray Whales Find Their Way to HBK?

 The migration route of the pacific gray whale is often described as the longest known mammal migration in the animal kingdom and can be easily observed along the California coastline. At Hike Bike Kayak, we track their route and locate grays offshore on our whale watching kayak tour. We educate our tours on every aspect of the migration, providing up close and personal observation of these large mammals in the wild. 

From our last post, we know the reasons why these gentle giants migrate, but how are they able to find their way south to the warm waters of Baja, Mexico?

Marine Biologists speculate that fewer hours of daylight, changes in water temperature, changes in food supply as the northern pack ice increases, or changing hormones involved in breeding, trigger the migration south. Experts believe the whales keep time with an inner biological clock. Whatever the reason, gray whales leave their feeding grounds in late summer and begin the journey down the pacific coast.

The coastline helps them to navigate the long distance. Since gray whales are known to be benthic (bottom) feeders, they have evolved with an orientation toward the seafloor where they scoop up amphipods in their baleen. The deep waters far offshore require more energy to feed, hence traveling closer to shore. 

Gray whales are a very curious mammal. They will thrust themselves vertically above the surface of the water to view their surroundings. This behavior is known as "spyhopping", which allows them to pinpoint known landmarks that help them stay on course. Whether it be a familiar lighthouse on a cliff, or recalled coastal boating docks, the Gray Whale will identify such places to navigate from Alaska to Baja and back, their twelve-thousand mile round trip migration. 

We've been seeing multiple spouts from our whale watching kayak tours! You don't want to miss out on this memorable experience!!