The Eastern North Pacific gray whale population has declined by more than 50% — from roughly 27,000 whales in 2015/2016 to 14,000 whales in 2022/2023 — since a marine heatwave known as “the blob” hit the Pacific ocean about a decade ago.
(From KCAW - Sitka)
It’s early May, and five gray whales weave between the kelp as they feed on herring eggs in the water around our 20-foot inflatable boat. Researchers are
