Published: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Whale spotted at Everett Marina is in bad shape, biologist says
EVERETT — Things don’t look good for the whale that has been hanging around the Everett Marina the past few days, experts say.
“This does represent one of the more extreme ends of the spectrum in terms of animals that are skinny and emaciated,” said John Calambokidis, a research biologist for the Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia, which specializes in marine mammal research.
The whale was seen near the Everett Marina on Saturday and again on Monday. Calambokidis didn’t see the whale in person but said he could tell from KIRO-TV video footage that the whale was in very poor condition.
Everett police spokesman Robert Goetz said he saw the whale about 12:30 p.m. Monday between the 10th Street boat launch and Jetty Island.
On Saturday, Everett police had a boat on regular harbor patrol, and it ran interference for the whale, keeping other boats away. On Mondays, boat traffic in Port Gardner is light and police don’t have a patrol boat out on that day of the week, Goetz said. Ryan Davis of Arlington went to the boat launch on his lunch hour and saw the whale — almost.
“I saw some sprays,” he said.
His wife, Lorinda, brought her children down later to get another look, but the whale apparently had moved on.
Howard Garrett, director of the Orca Network on Whidbey Island, said a whale matching the gray whale’s description was seen on Sunday heading north near Tulalip. If it was the same whale, it returned to Everett on Monday.
It’s not uncommon for migrating gray whales to enter Possession Sound this time of year and even get close to the marina to feed, he said.
However, some of the whales know where to go for food and some don’t, Garrett said.
Gray whales are baleen whales, collecting shrimp or krill in comb-like plates in their mouths.
“An amazingly consistent group” of about 11 whales comes in every year and “hit the hot spots,” according to Garrett. These include an area right outside the marina and other places near Hat Island, Camano Island and Whidbey Island.
“There are lots of buffet tables for gray whales,” he said.
Other whales wander in because they don’t know where they’re going. Perhaps they didn’t get enough food the year before and come out of the winter semi-hibernation period in poor shape, he said.
These whales aren’t familiar with the area and tend to look in the wrong places for food, Garrett said.
This whale is likely such a stray, he said.
“He’s kind of lost and disoriented and severely stressed,” Garrett said.
Calambokidis said there isn’t much that can be done for a whale in this predicament except to give it space.
“It is the time period (of year) when we see them show up in unusual locations and unusual places, sometimes with that not ending very well,” he said.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
“This does represent one of the more extreme ends of the spectrum in terms of animals that are skinny and emaciated,” said John Calambokidis, a research biologist for the Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia, which specializes in marine mammal research.
The whale was seen near the Everett Marina on Saturday and again on Monday. Calambokidis didn’t see the whale in person but said he could tell from KIRO-TV video footage that the whale was in very poor condition.
Everett police spokesman Robert Goetz said he saw the whale about 12:30 p.m. Monday between the 10th Street boat launch and Jetty Island.
On Saturday, Everett police had a boat on regular harbor patrol, and it ran interference for the whale, keeping other boats away. On Mondays, boat traffic in Port Gardner is light and police don’t have a patrol boat out on that day of the week, Goetz said. Ryan Davis of Arlington went to the boat launch on his lunch hour and saw the whale — almost.
“I saw some sprays,” he said.
His wife, Lorinda, brought her children down later to get another look, but the whale apparently had moved on.
Howard Garrett, director of the Orca Network on Whidbey Island, said a whale matching the gray whale’s description was seen on Sunday heading north near Tulalip. If it was the same whale, it returned to Everett on Monday.
It’s not uncommon for migrating gray whales to enter Possession Sound this time of year and even get close to the marina to feed, he said.
However, some of the whales know where to go for food and some don’t, Garrett said.
Gray whales are baleen whales, collecting shrimp or krill in comb-like plates in their mouths.
“An amazingly consistent group” of about 11 whales comes in every year and “hit the hot spots,” according to Garrett. These include an area right outside the marina and other places near Hat Island, Camano Island and Whidbey Island.
“There are lots of buffet tables for gray whales,” he said.
Other whales wander in because they don’t know where they’re going. Perhaps they didn’t get enough food the year before and come out of the winter semi-hibernation period in poor shape, he said.
These whales aren’t familiar with the area and tend to look in the wrong places for food, Garrett said.
This whale is likely such a stray, he said.
“He’s kind of lost and disoriented and severely stressed,” Garrett said.
Calambokidis said there isn’t much that can be done for a whale in this predicament except to give it space.
“It is the time period (of year) when we see them show up in unusual locations and unusual places, sometimes with that not ending very well,” he said.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
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