Written by Melani Morose Edelstein 2026|April|Issue No. 71
On a clear morning at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, volunteers scan the Pacific through binoculars. A misty plume rises offshore. Someone calls out a sighting. Pens move quickly. Another gray whale is recorded.
This is the American Cetacean Society’s Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project—one of the longest-running shore-based whale counts in the world. For decades, volunteers have tracked gray whales migrating between Baja California and the Arctic, building a rare and invaluable scientific record.
A Record Built Over Decades
Census director Alisa Schulman-Janiger has led the project for much of its history. What began as small pilot counts in the early 1980s evolved into a full-season effort by 1984, with Point Vicente added soon after for its sweeping coastal views
“The strength of this project is its continuity,” she explains. “We now have more than four decades of consistent observations. That kind of long-term data is incredibly rare.”
Because of its unique vantage point, Point Vicente offers more than a passing glimpse of migration.
“Gray whales don’t just move through here,” she says. “They rest, nurse, and socialize. You can see a wide range of natural behavior right from shore.”
Moments of Wonder Along the Coast
Those behaviors can be unforgettable. Schulman-Janiger recalls one particularly striking encounter—a mother whale doubling back repeatedly as her calf lingered behind. The calf played, interacted with a sea lion, and breached again and again.
“We counted 64 breaches before they disappeared,”she says.
That same mix of science and wonder continues today. On March 2, 2026, volunteers logged 18 gray whales in a single day. Some appeared strong, while others were visibly thin. One trio rolled and flashed their fins, likely courting. A juvenile triggered two breaches close enough for observers to hear the blows.
Meanwhile, other marine life passed through as well—humpback whales and several dolphin species—each adding to a dataset that now spans generations.
A Front-Row Seat to Nature’s Reality
For longtime volunteer Joyce Daniels, every shift brings something new.
“Some days we’re tracking multiple groups at once,” she says. “Other days, you scan the horizon and wait. You might see 30 whales one day and two the next.”
Daniels joined the project in 1994 after retiring and quickly became a daily presence. Over the years, she has witnessed both awe and heartbreak.
She recalls watching orcas kill a gray whale calf in 2012—one of many moments that reveal the raw realities of the ocean.
A Species Under Pressure
These observations are not only powerful—they are essential.
“We’re now seeing the lowest gray whale numbers I’ve ever seen,” Daniels says. Species once common have also become rare.
The data helps explain why.
“Gray whales are going through a very tough time,” Schulman-Janiger says. “Their population has dropped from about 27,000 in 2016 to under 13,000 in 2025. Many are thin, even starving. They’re environmental sentinels—when they struggle, it signals serious problems in the Arctic.
Citizen Science with Lasting Impact
The project also contributes to broader research efforts. Volunteers photograph individual whales and share those images with scientists, helping track migration patterns, health, and population trends across the Pacific.
Importantly, the work depends entirely on volunteers.
“There’s no funding to do this at this scale,” Schulman-Janiger says. “What citizen scientists provide is invaluable.”
Daniels agrees.
“This census matters because of its history and the data we’ve collected,” she says. “It also helps people understand the wildlife just off our coast—and why protecting the ocean matters.”
Season after season, volunteers return to the bluffs, eyes fixed on the horizon, contributing to one of the most comprehensive marine records of its kind.
Offshore, the whales continue their journey—sometimes in abundance, sometimes in troubling decline. Each sighting adds to a story still unfolding, carried forward by those who continue to watch.
