A gray whale has crossed the ocean from Russia to San Diego, raising
scientific questions about relationships between whale populations on
both edges of the world's largest ocean.
The whale, an 8.5-year-old female named Varvara, swam from Sakhalin
Island on Asia's east coast to Canadian waters before traveling south
with gray whales migrating from Alaska to Baja California. She is being
tracked using a satellite tag by the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon
State University, which located her in local waters late last week,
along with counterparts in Russia.
Here's how the research group described Varvara's movements through
Sunday: "Varvara traveled from Cape Mendocino in northern California to
the U.S./Mexican border ... using a combination of nearshore and
offshore routes. Going through the Southern California Bight, she
threaded her way between several of the Channel Islands in what would
not be described as nearshore, while also not skirting the west side of
the more westerly island."
Bruce Mate, who directs the Marine Mammal Institute, said in a Monday
interview that Varvara has crossed into Mexico and may mate in Baja
waters this year.
Last year, a western gray whale named Flex drew international
attention for a similar migration, but researchers lost track of him
well to the north of San Diego.
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