Most southbound migrants remain close to the coast, in water less 

 than 100 fathoms deep, until they reach Point Conception, which they 

 do bervveen early December and late January, with a peak around 

 Christmas. (^Whales do strike across open uater at such places as the 

 entrances to Icy Strait and other passes into southeast Alaska and 

 British Columbia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, San Francisco Bay and 

 Monterey Bay, briefly passing through deep waters as they do so.) At 

 Point Conception, where the mainland coast makes a radical turn 

 eastward, no more than about !5% ot the animals turn to follow the 

 mainland coast. At least 6 5 % of the animals, perhaps even 75 % or more, 

 continue directly southward, swimming across open water towards the 

 northern Channel Islands. Then, they disperse through the SCB, 

 taking any one of a series of interisland routes. The proportion of the 

 population using each ot those interisland routes is unknovin. Houev- 

 er, the following summary, from the best available data, describes our 

 current understanding: 



An apparently small number ot whales travel well outside the 

 islands along the edge of the Patton Escarpment. 



Most whales pass west of San Miguel Island or through the passes 

 between San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands, Santa Rosa and Santa 

 Cruz islands and Santa Cruz and Anacapa islands. Far more whales 

 pass along the western and southern than along the northern sides of 

 these four northern islands. 



Some whales from this northern island flow return to the mainland 

 between Ventura and Los Angeles; others continue southward on 

 interisland routes. 



Whales arrive at San Nicolas and San Clemente islands mostly 

 from the north/northeast and pass largely along the seaward coasts (It 

 is apparently more common for whales to use the east coast of San 

 Nicolas Island than it is for whales to use the east coast of San 

 Clemente Island :. 



Whales arrive at Santa Barbara Island from a variety ot north- 

 easterly to northwesterly headings and pass along either shore. From 

 Santa Barbara Island, however, most head directly for Santa Catalina 

 Island, where they pass principally along the seaward shore. 



Once past the southern Channel Islands ( Santa Catalina and San 

 Clementej most whales return to the coast, reaching the mainland 

 migrating stream between San Diego and northern Baja California. 



Some whales continue on into the Sea of Cortes and there are 

 reliable sightings trom Islas de Guadalupe and los Reviilagigedos. 

 However, most ot the population winters in and near lagoons on the 

 west coast of Baja Calitornia and the mainland coast of Mexico near 

 Yavaros. 



It has long been believed that most gray whale calves are born in 

 Mexican waters in and near these calving lagoons. But recent studies 

 off Central and Southern Calitornia have revealed that a higher 

 number ot calves than expected actually are born on the southbound 

 segment, some as far north as southern Oregon. Some ot these 

 mothers and calves pass throgh CINMS waters. 



Gray whales begin leaving the lagoons for the northward migration 

 as early as mid-January; so. the tails of the southbound and north- 

 bound migrations overlap briefly otf Ba|a Calitornia and Southern 

 California in January and February. The northward migration is more 

 protracted than the southbound and occurs in two distinct waves or 

 pulses. The earlier pulse includes a broad cross section of the popula- 

 tion. The later, smaller wave consists almost exclusively of temales and 

 their calves. The two waves pass through the SCB in peak numbers in 

 April/May and early June, respectively. Once the\' are north ot Point 

 Conception, females and calves tend to be closer to the coast than do 

 other animals. But within the SCB, whales of all ages apparently 

 disperse wideh'. Little is known about relative proportions ot the 

 northbound population taking coastal versus interisland routes 

 through the SCB or about specific interisland routes used. Gray whales 

 are seen in and near CINMS waters as well as along the mainland coast. 

 It is likely that northward migrating gray whales are. in most of the 

 SCB as at most other times and locations, principally coastal and that 

 their excursions across open water are b\' more-or-less direct routes 

 from one island or major land point to the next. Boat operators from 

 Ventura and Santa Barbara indicate that m the area of the northern 

 Channel Islands tar more whales are seen outside the islands than in the 

 Santa Barbara Channel. That more coastward portion of the popula- 

 tion tends to flow further from shore, for example, near Plattorm Gina, 

 in March/ April but closer to the mainland shore in April/May. 



The occasional observation ot temales and calves or yearlings m the 

 same kelp areas ott the mainland or Calitornia Channel Islands on 

 successive days has lead to speculation that quiet kelp beds are ot 

 special importance to newborn and juvenile whales during spring. 

 Given that some 60% ot the kelp beds in the SCB are in the CINMS, 

 some young whales might be expected to linger in waters of the 

 CINMS. The tact that northbound whales move more slowly than 

 southbound whales means th.K the period oi exposure ot any given 

 whale to a given area is likely to be longer in early summer than in 

 winter. Some of the malingering on the northbound migration is 

 probably tor teedmg. 



I K,; I'l 4- t.jr,i\ uli.tlf .ijult .ihoLU 40' \on^ And wilt .tboiiC i^' lon^ . ott 

 Point Conception. January 1981. Studies in Winter 1981 and 198; m the 

 Santa Barbara Channel have shown that a significant number ot calves are 

 born on the southbound migration rather chat in the Mexican lagoons. 

 (Photo by B. S. Stewart.) 



FlGL'RJi 5. .A juvenile grav uiialc "teeding" in the kelp oti Santa Barbara. The 

 kelp beds ot the SCB might well he important teedmg areas tor northbound 

 gray whales, especially juveniles and temales with calves. Given that some 60 

 percent of the kelp beds in the SCB occur in the CINMS, such beds may 

 deserve special study and protection. ( Photo by S. Anderson, courtesy C. 

 PiUsbury.) 



