Spot Hundreds Of Gray Whales As They Swim Through Our Alaskan Backyard This Month During Their Migration
By Megan McDonald|Published March 15, 2020
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Megan McDonald
Author
Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
Alaska’s wildlife spans a wide array of magnificent creatures. They Pacific Ocean is home to many majestic animals, including an incredible assortment of whales. In fact, the gray whale migration runs all the way up from Mexico to Alaskan waters, a journey of over 10,000 miles. You can take this opportunity to see one of the largest migration of mammals on this planet!
The gray whales start their annual migration in Baja, Mexico, and travel all the way up to the Bering and Chukchi Seas.
They start their migration in late February and arrive in Alaskan waters by early spring. These whales will spend the summer eating their fill in the northern Arctic waters.
They head right by the mouth of Resurrection Bay in Seward, providing the wonderful opportunity for Alaskans to check out this incredible journey.
Their entire trip from Mexico to Alaska is between 10,000 and 12,000 miles. The whales swim about 75 miles each day to get to the end of their journey.
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Almost 24,000 of these beautiful creatures make the migration up to Alaska's waters.
They are 40 to 50 feet long, and can weigh up to 40 tons. The females are slightly larger than males. They are known for being curious, and sometimes will swim closer to boats to check them out.
One group of whales in 1988 waited too long to make the journey south. They become trapped, and the growing sea ice prevented them from coming up for air.
This led to a massive international effort, that included the Soviet Union, to create a path for them to safety. The holes were cut by the rescuers to give the whales a breathing spot as they attempted to lead them back to open water.
Luckily, the whales haven't become trapped again since.
Usually they head back down to Mexico by mid October. They birth their calves in the protected lagoons outside of Baja, Mexico, and spend the winter in warmer water with their babies, before it's time to head north again.
You won't just see these stunning, massive gray whales.
You will also see stellar sea lions, bald eagles, sea otters, and even other whale species. The whale watch tours in early spring out of Seward is a wonderful way to get to know the marine life in and around the Resurrection Bay area.
The Major Marine Tours out of Seward, Alaska, runs gray whale tours from March 7th through May 10th.
They head out every day from 1:00 p.m. through 5:00 p.m. Infants under two years of age are free, children between the ages of 2-11 are $44.50, and adults are $89.00 per person. This is a wonderful way to get outside and see this annual phenomena!
