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Few migrating whales arrive in Mexican lagoons
The number of gray whales making a yearly migration from the icy North Pacific to breed in Mexico?s warm lagoons has dropped this year, scientists say, possibly because of changing weather patterns.
The number of gray whales making a yearly migration from the icy North Pacific to breed in Mexico’s warm lagoons has dropped this year, scientists say, possibly because of changing weather patterns.
Gray whale researcher William Megill said food shortages in the whales’ feeding grounds near Canada and Alaska mean that some of the thousands who make the annual 8,000 km journey have departed late or even stayed behind this year.
Other researchers said on Thursday that varying sea temperatures in the Bering Sea could be contributing to changes in migration patterns. Megill warned those that made the trip may be undernourished and said he feared many could die from lack of energy on their return trip north later in the year.
According to Megill’s latest census, around 90 whales had made it to San Ignacio by February, down by about a half compared to the same month in 2005. Every year thousands of gray whales spend several months swimming from their northern feeding grounds to warm lagoons with a high salt content along Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.
Whale-watching in the lagoons is a popular tourist attraction. Gray whales in the lagoons sometimes approach visitors’ boats and let humans touch them.
