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increasingly-popular form of winter recreation in California and along much of the rest of
the western coasts of the United States and Canada.
The annual migration of gray whales along the coast, from summer feeding
grounds in the Bering Sea off Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico for calving, is well-
documented and publicized in the popular media. The southward migration runs closer
to shore and may last for a period of 1-4 weeks, peaking in mid-December in central and
Northern California. In the northward migration, whales travel farther offshore and its
peak occurs in March. In many ports along the coast, offering whalewatching cruises is
an important supplement to the winter incomes of fishing guides, party boat operators,
and other boat owners. In addition to regularly-scheduled boat cruises and tours in ports
up and down the coast, there are many opportunities for shore-based viewing of the
migration from major headlands and promontories.
Two sites, Point Reyes and Half Moon Bay, are in the San Francisco area, with
Point Reyes to the north of the Golden Gate Bridge and Half Moon Bay on the Pacific
coast south of San Francisco. The third site, Monterey, is further to the south, some 110
miles from San Francisco. As these data are discussed in some detail elsewhere (Loomis
and Larson), a relatively brief description is provided here.
Gray whale migration occurs on the Pacific coast in the winter months. The
southward migration from the Bering Sea to Mexico generally occurs from November to
January followed by several months of the return trip north. The whales travel very close
to the shore and swim at about 3-5 miles per hour, making them very visible from the
shore or a boat. Whales are viewed from the shore at Point Reyes, and predominantly
from boats in Half Moon Bay and Monterey. The boat trips normally consist of a 2-4
hour excursion to view whales. Since the survey took place during the whale migration,
which is in the winter months, most people were on the coast for the primary purpose of
whale watching and not summer beach activities.