2023 Whale Census for San Ignacio Lagoon. This is a an extremely positive outlook given there were so many newborn calves seen along with the high concentration of whales making the southbound journey. Over the past few years of 2021 & 2022 we had an unusual mortality event or UME…and it looks like we have bounced back from this. It seems food was an instrumental cause of the UME. I’ve seen this only one other time, back around 1999 and with a similar bounce back of whales migrating back to the Baja Lagoons in large numbers looking healthy and well fed.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/2019-2023-gray-whale-unusual-mortality-event-along-west-coast-and