Sea of Change: The Whale Superhighway

Whales of all kinds travel the so-called whale superhighway off the Southern California coast. Experts say the changing seas are bringing a wide range and growing number of behemoths to the Pacific, sometimes just feet from shore.

"I've seen a lot of change here along our southern California coast, a resurgence of the marine life out here," Harbor Breeze Cruises CEO Cpt. Dan Salas CEO said. "It's coming back. I've seen more whales than I've ever seen in the last four to five years right off Southern California coast."

More whales seen in Southern California

"There's been a big change in the kinds of species that we see when the water gets warmer," ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project Director Biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger said. "We might get false killer whales come up from Mexico or Brutus whales or eastern tropical pacific-type killer whales."

Many of these massive mammals are drawn to the Southern California waters for food. Upwellings of cold deep currents, full of shrimp and krill create an underwater buffet for whales of all kinds.

Whales of all kinds travel the so-called whale superhighway off the Southern California coast.

The opportunity to see any of these graceful giants has been the basis of the whale-watching business off the Southern California coast for decades. And now more than ever, the odds of seeing a whale or two have increased significantly.

"I've never seen a blue whale in the wild out here my whole life until, you know, the first part of the 2000's like 2004," Salas said. "I saw my first blue whale and just about every year since 2004, we've been seeing blue whales every single year."

Whale populations decline

Just 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales now roam the world's oceans, down from more than 350,000 due to devastating commercial whaling. NOAA estimates that more than 1,500 blue whales now feed along the SoCal coast. It's one of the largest known global gatherings of these blue behemoths.

"If there's a lot of food around, the blues will kind of call each other underwater," Newport Coastal Adventure Owner Ryan Lawler said. "You'll have sometimes aggregation of five or six or seven. I think the most blue whales we've seen is maybe a dozen in one area."

"Only 1% of the world's population ever get a chance to get a glimpse of a blue whale," Salas said. "And when you see them and you can hear their blow, it's not like you hear a blow. It's almost, it's so powerful you can feel it vibrating through your body. It's a rumble."

How climate change impacts whales

Gray whales have long been a staple along the SoCal coast as they make their annual 12,000-mile migration from the Arctic to Baja, Mexico and back. It's the longest migration of any mammal.

Gray whales migrate from the Artic to Baja, Mexico, each year. A 12,000-mile journey to mate and give birth.

Since 1984, researchers and volunteers with the American Cetacean Society have been conducting the gray whale census from the Palos Verdes peninsula. It's one of the longest shore-based studies of marine mammals in the country.

Those researchers have been tracking a troubling trend. Fewer gray whales are making the migration, especially fewer newborn babies.

"We had about a five-year baby boom, in which instead of seeing 100 northbound calves, we were seeing 200, 242; 341 was our largest year. And the counts of the total calves estimates were well over 1,000," Schulman-Janiger said. "Last year, the count was more like 400; and this year probably will be closer to 200."

According to researchers, climate change has a much bigger impact than previously thought on gray whales. They say the warming seas are affecting the food chain, reducing how much prey is available to eat. Less food means fewer babies and a major drop in the overall population of gray whales.

"We have had unusual mortality events before, but never lasting this long and never dropping so much when the population dropped from about 27,000 to perhaps 14,500," Schulman-Janiger said. "So that's a massive drop of almost 50%."

While there have been major environmental impacts on whales before, researchers say this time the outcome for some species may be even more damaging.

Researchers and volunteers with the American Cetacean Society have been conducting the gray whale census from the Palos Verdes peninsula.

Hope for whales

Schulman-Janiger said despite the dramatic decline, there is hope for these resilient animals who have faced similar challenges before. The latest gray whale population numbers show a rebound of more than 30%, but experts caution a full recovery may take longer than in the past due to the changing oceans.

While some of the changes are having a detrimental impact on certain species, for others it's changing where and when they can find the food they need. And that is bringing in a diverse array of whales to Southern California.

Another major factor in the population rebound is the numerous protections and regulations now in place. The U.S. ended commercial whale hunts decades ago, but three countries -- Iceland, Japan and Norway -- are continuing the controversial practice.

"The Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed even a year before the Endangered Species Act. So that was in 1972. So we've had a long history of protection of marine mammals in the United States," Lawler said. "Now, the challenge is to dial in each species and each stock, seeing where they're coming into contact with manmade problems."

One of the main problems is when whales become entangled in traps and nets from commercial fishing vessels. Even after decades of protections, six of the 13 great whale species are still classified as endangered or vulnerable.

Because of conservationists and community scientists tracking the trends, researchers have a better idea of how the oceans are changing and how our actions can affect the outcome.

New perspective on whales

The wild array of whales traveling the underwater superhighway along the Southern California coast is awe-inspiring.

Drone operators and community scientists like Mark Giradeau are helping researchers learn more about all the whales along our shore and showing the world some awe-inspiring scenes.

"The drone is game-changing. We see all the animals from the boat, which is great too. It's great to see and hear it, but the drone just offers us this whole new perspective." Giradeau said. "So, you can see the entire whale. You can see if they're skinny or fat or possibly pregnant."

The aerial perspective gives new insight into a whale's world and with it a better understanding of how we impact their environment and their survival.

What the future hold remains to be seen, but what is clear is that protecting the amazing animals traveling the whale superhighway off the Southern California coast is vital to maintaining a healthy and complex underwater ecosystem we all depend on.