Blue Whale Watching Season Has Begun: Conservation Efforts To Save World’s Largest and Smallest Whales

It is the time of the year that the Blue Whales enter the Southern California region as they migrate and feed for the summer leg of their journey. If you want to know about this part of the migration you can follow my article Aquarium of the Pacific: The Bryde and Blue Whale Harbor Breeze Viewing Excursions Begins! I posted last year. This is one of 2 whale migrations that take place in the Southern California region. If you follow this link Whale Search: Aquarium of the Pacific Boat Excursion Find Endangered Fin and Migrating Gray Whales you can read about the Fin and Grey whale migrations. Whale watching is a fun and exhilarating experience the whole family can enjoy. This year’s Blue Whale viewing with include a new program introducing the public to the endangered Vaquita, a rare porpoise, whose numbers have dropped below a hundred in the Gulf of California.

Out in the open ocean in the Harbor Breeze catamaran gazing on the exquisite creatures, the Blue Whale is the largest animal to ever exist on Earth, you’re surround by the big blue Pacific Ocean, where the scale is mind-boggling to wrap your head around and yet, the experience manages to connect you to the environment and larger world around you. There around 2,000 Blue Whales that visit the area each year of the 10,000 that remain after exhaustive hunting during the previous century made them an endangered species.

Photo Gallery After the Break

The Aquarium of the Pacific will also be acquainting its audiences and the general public to the Vaquita, a rare porpoise whose numbers are dwindling because of fishing techniques that have to be stopped to save this threatened population. The Vaquita could be extinct in as little as 2 years. “Save the Vaquita Day” starts July 11th 2015. Aquarium visitors will learn more about the Vaquita during all animal and dive shows. On August 13th the Aquarium will host a panel of experts to discuss the Vaquita and ways to protect the species.

During the annual Baja Splash Festival on September 27th and 28th there with be special presentations, in English and Spanish, on the plight of the Vaquita and what people can do to help. Part of the difficulty in saving the Vaquita is the fishing techniques used to fish for another rare fish called the Totoaba. The Totoaba is wanted for its bladder to supply the Chinese black market. The Totoaba’s bladder can fetch up to $14,000. This puts both of these wonderful animals at risk even after Mexico took measures to stop the techniques that put both animals at risk.

The Aquarium of the Pacific will host an all ages comedy about climate change Sunday August 16th from 7pm to 9pm called “The Lollygaggers,” written by Josh Willis Ph.D. from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The play is directed by Rani O’Bren. Willis and O’Brien believe theater can help bring about more change and provoke thought for all ages. The Lollygaggers blends pertinent information about climate change and comedy to create climate change awareness. This is a special one night performance not to be missed.

Harbor Breeze Cruises and the Aquarium of the Pacific will run Blue Whale watch excursions at noon and 3:30pm daily out of Long Beach, and Trips are now offered out of San Pedro too. Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA. 90802. For infomation call: 562-590-3100.