By Merrill Gosho, NOAA [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsOne of the first signs of spring in coastal Alaska is the appearance of gray whales, who pass our way on their annual journey from Mexico to the Bering Sea. It’s thought to be the longest migration of any mammal. Its a wildlife festival for the North American West Coast, as people watch them in Baja Mexico, from headlands in California and Oregon, and off Alaska. Along our uninhabited shores, the whales get a lot more privacy than they do down south, but you can see them from boats and coastal towns, and tour boats from Seward go out to view the whales through April. It’s a great time for Alaskans to take a boat ride, when there aren’t a lot of tourists around, and see lots of wildlife. On today’s show, we’re talking about going out to see the whales this spring, and the biology of the whales and their amazing migration.
