CONTENTS 



Page 



Summary ^ 



Introduction ^ 



Objectives ^ 



Acknowledgments ^ 



Taxonomy and distribution of the gray whale 3 



Taxonomy ^ 



Distribution 4 



Distribution and migration of the California population 6 



Summer range o 



Bering -Chukchi area 6 



California-Oregon area 6 



Southward migration 7 



Winter range 1 



Areas of migrating and wandering 9 



Calving areas 9 



Northward migration 14 



Behavior studies 15 



Behavior during migration 15 



Orientation to land 15 



Daily cycle of observations 15 



Social behavior 16 



Behavior on the winter range 16 



Outer and intermediate area 16 



Inner nursery area 18 



Reproduction and mortality 18 



Reproduction 18 



Mortality 18 



History of the California gray whale population, 1850-1952 19 



Shore census of the southward migration, 1952-53 to 1956-57 20 



Methods 20 



Areas 20 



Procedure 21 



Extrapolations 21 



Results 22 



Census of 1952-53 22 



Census of 1953-54 22 



Census of 1954-55 23 



Census of 1955-56 23 



Census of 1956-57 23 



Summary of shore censuses 23 



Aerial surveys of the wintering grounds, 1952-57 25 



Methods 25 



Areas 25 



Procedure 25 



Results 26 



Survey of 1 952 26 



Survey of 1953 26 



Survey of 1954 28 



Survey of 1955 28 



Survey of 1956 28 



Survey of 1957 28 



Summary of aerial surveys 29 



Literature cited 29 



