Why are gray whale numbers declining, and what can we do to reverse this trend? In this new series, I delve into the fascinating biology and rich history of California's iconic symbols-starting with our state marine mammal, the gray whale. These resilient creatures have faced countless challenges, from the brink of extinction during the whaling era to their remarkable recovery, with populations growing from just 1,000 whales in the 1940s to over 26,000. However, recent years have seen a troubling decline, known as an "unusual mortality event." Today, I sit down with one of the world’s foremost experts on gray whales, Alisa Schulman-Janiger, to uncover their biology, history, and the crucial steps we can take to help protect them for future generations.
For the royalty free music I use:
Epidemic sound - share.epidemicsound.com/z5nkc2
Film:
Camera:
Sony ZV-E1 - amzn.to/4g6Ee9a
Shotgun mic - amzn.to/3jgpF6A
Lens - amzn.to/474oVd1
Wireless mic - amzn.to/3KmU13p
Drone - amzn.to/3Kxlz5W
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:05 Unusual mortality event
3:46 Whale sighting?
4:17 Gray whale feeding
6:48 Why migrate?
8:14 Whale sighting?
9:27 How they became the state marine mammal
10:22 The opposition
12:18 How concerned should we be with their future?
14:21 Something hopeful
15:26 Important information