Birdsong’s Blog

Gray Whale Mom and Calf Play in Laguna Beach and we can’t stop singing our kids song about gray whale migration!

Dear Whale-Loving Friends,

It has been a wonderful season of sightings of migrating gray whales, right here in Orange County, CA, US.  Many of us have had the privilege of seeing these whales and their calves swimming and playing close to the shore, as you can see in this video posted by my friends at Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari. Because of my work as a American Cetacean Society naturalist, I have also had many opportunities this spring to sing “Migration”, my kids song about tthe gray whale. All in all, it’s been an awesome gray whale season. 

Just two weeks after Captain Dave’s video was filmed, I had a wonderful time as a naturalist for an enthusiastic group of fourth graders from San Bernardino, CA. We set out on the Nautilus, guided by the amazing crew of Davey’s Locker Whale Watching. Many of the students had never been to the ocean, and most had never seen a whale. You can imagine their excited anticipation as we headed out to the open ocean to look for whales. The students were thrilled when, alas, we sighted a mother gray whale and her calf. We saw the whales come to the surface and spout many times before they continued swimming north on their migration to the cold seas of Alaska, United States. As the Nautilus headed back to the harbor, the entire group of students, teachers and parent chaperones sang along with me to “Migration”. The sound of children singing about whales and watching them dance and clap to my song was an experience I’ll never forget. It was a wonderful ending to a very satisfying whale watch!

I have deep feelings of awe and respect for the gray whales, and I am filled with satisfaction and gratitude for their success in recovering from their near-extinction. It was a privilege for me to share their story with the students on the boat. I was also moved by how many students were concerned about the trash they saw floating in the ocean. It was a good opportunity for us to talk about the dangers that plastic and other trash cause to whales and all marine life. We also talked about the importance of keeping the ocean clean and we discussed some alternatives to plastic, such as using cloth or  recycled bags when shopping.

I feel extremely fortunate to live so close to the very coast that gray whales use as their annual migratory route. I have a strong feeling of love and protection for my great baleen friends, the Pacific Gray Whales. You can learn more about gray whales on one of my previous posts as well as sing along to “Migration” in our kids music video.

Your singing naturalist friend,

Birdsong