Fourteen sightings were made in January and 

 February between San Miguel and Bodega Head. 

 March sightings ranged from Point Pinos on 

 the south to Cape Flattery on the north. In 

 April we recorded gray whales from Point 

 Arena north to Cape Flattery. Single individuals 

 were common, although groups of two, three, 



or four were also seen. On 24-25 April 1959, 

 more than 200 gray whales were observed 

 moving northward off the Washington coast 

 between Destruction Island and James Island. 

 On 23 March 1961, about 50 gray whales were 

 observed between Cape Flattery and Umatilla 

 lightship (or reef). 



Balaenopteridae, rorquals (figs. 8 and u) 



In the areas that we covered, rorquals do not 

 usually appear in abundance until after we had 

 completed cruising in the spring. Relatively 



few rorquals or other large whales were seen 

 as connpared with the number that might be 

 observed in late spring and summer. 



Megaptera novaeangliae , humpback whale 



(figs. 7 and 11) 



The hunnpback and finback whales are the 

 main support of Pacific coast whaling stations. 

 They appear to be absent from coastal waters 

 until mid-March (table 16) and remain scarce 

 until late April. 



Eubalaena glacialis , right whale (fig. 8) 



The right whale has been reported more 

 frequently from the western Pacific (Omura, 

 1958) than in the eastern Pacific (table 17). 

 The difference can be explained partly, at 

 least, by the greater activity of whaling 

 vessels and of people who would recognize 

 species of whales. 



Table 15. --Number and location of Balaenopteridae observed 



Date 



Number seen 



Location 



Balaenoptera physalus, finback whale 



Latitude Longitude 



48°25' N. , 125°55' W. 

 48 miles W Cape Flattery 



35°34' N. , 122°10' W. 



44 miles W Pt. Piedras Blancas 

 40°55' N. , 124''31' W. 



19 miles SW Trinidad Head 



33°49' N. , 120°40' W. 



35 miles SW Santa Rosa Island 

 32''34' N. , 119°32' W. 



40 miles S San Nicolas Island 



35°45' N. , 122°11.' W. 



44 miles W Pt. Piedras Blancas 

 47°32' N. , 124°48' W. 



16 miles SW Destruction Island 

 48°31' N. , 125°54' W. 



48 miles WNW Cape Flattery 



45°06' N. , 125°11' W. 

 50 miles W Cascade Head 



26 



