Generally, my presentatio ‘Whale Watching and Migration Program is about whale populations in Kos wr and motivation. Specifically, I want to tell my audience about whale behavior derstand why whales migrate and After hearing my presentation, 1 want my audience to un techniques to enhance their whale watching experience. L 1y mammalian species ‘Whale Facts faters of Baja Mexico a. Gray whales have the longest migration route of an; 12,000 miles from Arctic waters to warm wa Feed in the arctic and mate/give birth in Baja b. Humpbacks travel from Hawaii to Alaska i €. Due to the endangered species act and NOAA gray whale populations have resurged to a sustainable number since their endangerment due to whaling, practices ; i, Approximately 24,000 make the migration each year Why do whales migrate? ; | which are scarce in equatorial a. Whales migrate in order to follow food sources, waters. i, Specifically phytoplankton! ii, Phytoplankton are the microscopic forest of the ocean ii, They are the primary producer’s aka bottom of the food chain b._ Krill which are a primary food source for gray whales feed off algae/pp Why is there a scarcity of nutrients in equatorial/southern waters? a. The warm temperatures of those waters keep the sea in a constant state of stratification i. The top layer is less dense and houses phytoplankton, and below this layer are more dense layers ii, ‘These layers do not intermingle and thus phytoplankton and their nutrients do not go below this top warm layer b. Temperate Winter Waters i. Cooling temperatures of the winter allow the layers to have similar densities, thus creating mixing which results in spring algal blooms when the water stratifies again in the spring Polar waters are constantly mixing layers to the consistent cold temperatures; however, their productivity is limited by the amount of light produced i, Spring-Fall allows enough light for algae blooms which krill feed on ii, Polar waters are considered the most productive waters in the world Colder temperatures result in less molecular movement thus keeping higher concentration of Oxygen, vice versa for warmer waters ¢. Larger populations of phytoplankton/algae result in greater numbers of dead plant matter on the ocean floorWV. i. This nutrient ri i This nutient rich ocean bottom is where gray whales serape in sammet Months to col i summer months. ‘Whaat to look for! lect their food and create blubber for summer &. Blows or spouts i. Warm air from the whale’s lungs hts the cold air producing ‘column called a spout 1. Spouts can be up to 15 ft high 2. Last about 5 seconds \Whates will dive for 3-6 minutes and come above water and sPOUt 5 > times (20-50 seconds) apart than dive back down again for 3-6 minutes b. Flukes/Tai Before diving whales typically raise their talesMukes above the Wat ‘The weight ofthe tale allows the whale to take a deeper dive under the water iii. Gray Whales typically do not breach or show their tales ¢. Knuckled Back and Footprint i. If whales are close enough, while b of the whale ii, Shiny black/gray with knuckle-ike ridges along the back 4. Breach and Splash : i Whales will occasionally hurl themselves out of the water ereatng a Targe splash this is called breaching. 1. Scientists do not know the purpose of breaching 2. Other species of whales copy this behavior e. Spyhopping i, A maneuver done by whales, sharks and dolphins ii, Spyhopping is when a whale stick its head above water in a vertical direction ‘T._ Scientists believe this practice is done so that whales can better view their surroundings 2. Not all spyhopping has the animal’s eyes above waters ‘a, Some scientists believe spyhopping may be more about the whale’s ears than its? eyes b. In shallower water whales can better hear waves near the surf line, which marks its migratory route asteam owing we may be able to see the back City Fish vs. Country Fish a. b. ‘When we think of nutrient rich waters we tend to think of the vast diversity of equatorial waters and coral reefs In fact, these areas are nutrients poor, coral reefs being an oasis of nutrients in an otherwise nutrient poor area. Think of where the world’s fisheries are located? i. Although southern waters have higher levels of diversity, their species populations are quite low.ee ‘Oo 9f fish, but 1. Looking at a coral reef, their may be a wide variety 0} some species may only have 2 individuals 2, ‘These individuals fight off members of their species for the resources available on the coral reef Northern waters have less diversity but high populations, fisheries are successful in northern waters which is why ‘Gnarly barnacles and sea lice on their left side, feed on their right