FIELD REPORT UPDATE FOR JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2022

FIELD REPORT UPDATE FOR JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2022

Our gray whale research teams arrived in Laguna San Ignacio (LSI) and Bahía Magdalena (BM) in mid-January to begin the 2022 gray whale research season. Our field research station the “Francisco ‘Pachico’ Mayoral” laboratory opened on January 19^th. Leading the LSI team is our field Chief Dr. Sergio Martínez A., accompanied by Minerva Valerio Conchas, Regina Lobo, Andrés González and Adrian Zamora. Our drone pilots this year are Fabian Rodríguez-Gonzáles and Job Olguin. Project Co-Director Steven Swartz joined the Team in mid-February. Dra. Lorena Viloria leads our team in Bahía Magdalena that includes Lorena Magallón Flores, Omar Garcia Castañeda, Mario Márquez Segovia, Montserrat Castillo, and Barbara Diago.

As we approach the half-way point in the 2022 winter gray whale breeding season, we report on a number of events. Read more about:

— the launch of our new research panga the RV MASAM

— initial abundance surveys reflect early season increase in single whales

— the dis-entanglement of a gray whale calf

— stranded “skinny” whale saved only to strand again

— an “Old Timer” returns once again to the lagoons of Baja California

— Surface active courting groups predominate in the lagoons

— mother-calf pair numbers still remain low for 4th year

— watch our website for additional updates as the winter progresses…