No Place Like Home

Lost whales find their way to the Pacific

• PRINT
• EMAIL

Wayward humpback whale Delta breaches in the Sacramento River above Antioch, California on May 27, 2007. (Photo: Aaron Kehoe/NewsCom)

June 4, 2007

Scientists and marine biologists had something to celebrate last week when two lost humpback whales returned to the Pacific Ocean. Delta and Dawn—the mother and baby calf—had circled the Sacramento Bay area for two weeks before going back to the ocean.

"We all cheered like 'Yay!'" said Jim Oswald, a spokesman for the Marine Mammal Center. "It's been really exhilarating."

The humpback whales were last spotted on May 29 near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. Scientists are confident that the whales swam into open water during the evening of May 29 or early the next morning, since there have been no further sightings of the whales.

Even so, boats were sent into the Pacific Ocean to look for them, just in case the whales make another wrong turn.

Lost Whales

The humpback whales swam 90 miles off course while migrating, or traveling, north from Mexico. Every year, humpback whales migrate to the northern Pacific Ocean to feed during the summer. In the winter, they migrate to tropical regions to breed and give birth.

Officials spent two weeks trying to coax the whales back toward the ocean. Biologists played recordings of whale-feeding as well as unfamiliar sounds to try to entice the whales to head further downstream.

After those attempts failed, scientists also sprayed water near the whales with fire hoses and banged on metal pipes underneath the water.  

"What we ultimately came away with is that many of the techniques had some effect, but none of them could make a whale go in a direction it did not want to go," said John Calambokidis, a scientist with the nonprofit organization Cascadia Research Collective.

Scientists also gave the whales antibiotics for cuts they had received from a boat propeller. They were afraid the whales could get infections because they were in fresh water, instead of salt water—their natural habitat.  

Unexpected Discoveries

Delta and Dawn gave scientists an unexpected chance to study humpback whales in the wild.  Scientists were able to gather sound recordings, tissue samples, and watch their behavior. This is especially exciting because humpback whales are listed as an endangered species. What’s more, scientists usually don't have the chance to observe them in their natural habitat.

"All those things are very hard to get,” said Oswald. “So what we are doing is filling up the knowledge bank on humpback whales in the wild."

Scientists should be able to use this information to help other lost whales in the future.

Critical Thinking Question

Read today's news story, and then answer the following question.

Why do you think it's important for scientists to learn more about humpback whales?

Join a discussion of this question on our bulletin board.

 

Tiffany Chaparro is a contributing writer for Scholastic News Online.

General Sea Life Facts
Learn about marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, porpoises and otters.

The Crocodile Hunter
Steve Irwin spoke to Scholastic News just prior to the release of his film The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course in the spring of 2002. He talked about working with dangerous animals, a job that recently took his life.

Crocodile Hunter Dies
Animal lovers around the world are mourning the death of Australia's Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. Irwin, age 44, was killed by a stingray in an accident on Monday. The accident took place while Irwin was diving off the Great Barrier Reef of Australia's northeast coast. As he swam over the more than 200-pound stingray, its poisonous tail spiked him in the chest. The attack damaged his heart.

LESSON PLAN	Ocean Life for Grades 6-9 Student learn about marine life while also developing their observation, research, reading, and writing skills.
UNIT PLAN	Winter's Tail: Lessons & Printables Explore the world of dolphins with science and vocabulary lessons. Students will learn about dolphin biology and marine life through quick language...
ONLINE ACTIVITY	Soar with Bats Watch and learn about bats and the mysteries surrounding these flying mammals with expert Dr. Nancy Simmons from the American Museum of Natural...