— by Lin McNulty —

Reports of a gray whale in East Sound are floating about the island, with a couple of instances of actual sightings at Crescent Beach. Personally, I have heard something big with a blow hole the last couple of nights in the waters off my cottage on East Sound.

Deborah Giles, Center for Whale Research (CWR) Research Director, was not aware of any reports when we contacted her, but was excited to hear the news. Senior research scientist at the CWR Ken Balcomb, also not aware of any sightings, told us it would not be surprising, and would be good news if true. “The population is recovering, and they could be looking for habitat.”

John Calambokidis, a Research Biologist and one of the founders of Cascadia Research was not available for comment. Cascadia Research specifically tracks Gray Whales.

The gray whale is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly.

Pictures, sightings, reports, comments, anyone?

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