THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602090435
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
Humpback whales are as fickle as our summer tourists - they don't show when the weather is bad.
Lower than normal temperatures apparently drove our winter visitors to warmer waters south off the North Carolina coast and east to the Gulf Stream in search of food.
Since the Virginia Marine Science Museum's whale watching boat trips began Dec. 26, only two whales have been sighted. Both were seen Dec. 30.
While disappointing to casual whale watchers, museum researchers are excited about the scientific implications.
``It's starting to confirm our hypothesis that the water temperature is pretty closely connected to why they come and what's driving their appearance,'' said Susan Barco, a marine biologist and whale researcher for the museum. ``It gives us a natural test of what might be happening.''
Since 1991, the endangered marine creatures have perplexed scientists by spending their winters off the Virginia Beach coast, a region where they had never been known to live before.
Except for this year and two years ago when unseasonably low temperatures prevailed, the whales have returned here each winter to feed on the bounty of small schooling fish.
Barco said satellite images have shown that the ocean's current temperatures are about the same as 1994 or slightly colder.
While whales can withstand low temperatures, the fish they typically feed on - menhaden and bay anchovies - apparently cannot and have moved to warmer climates.
Researchers believe the humpbacks that typically winter off our coast are young and sexually immature, under 5 years old, and they come here to feed while the adults travel to Caribbean breeding grounds.
Aerial surveys conducted by museum researchers have spotted these juvenile whales hanging around the North Carolina coast between Oregon Inlet and Cape Hatteras. Fishermen also have sighted whales 17 to 20 miles off Virginia Beach's shore in the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream.
Last winter, humpback whales gave a spectacular show off our coast. Not only were they plentiful, but they performed their acrobatics close to shore for beachgoers to see.
In 1995, whales were spotted on an unprecedented 90 percent of museum boat trips and extended their stay into the spring. More than 23,000 people (more than the previous three years combined) caught close-up looks at the creatures.
From late December through January this year, about 2,600 people have taken whale-watching trips.
While trips are scheduled Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons as well as throughout the weekend, many excursions have been canceled due to bad weather.
``We've stopped our advertising and promotions, but people can still call and make reservations,'' said Alice Scanlan, a museum spokesperson. ``We let them know the season has been pretty sparse. Still, quite a few go out and have been pleased.''
Scanlan said that despite the absence of whales, the two-hour ocean trips are educational and entertaining. During the excursion, museum interpreters provide a wealth of information about whales, waterfowl and Virginia Beach historic landmarks.
``The people who have gone have been real excited,'' she said. ``Some of it is the novelty of being out on the ocean in the middle of winter.''
The boat trips will continue into March. ILLUSTRATION: WHALE WATCHING
When: Whale-watching trips are scheduled at 3:30 p.m. Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays and several times on Saturdays and Sundays.
Trips are subject to cancellation because of weather.
Where: Trips depart from Rudee Inlet.
How much: $12 for adults, $10 for children 11 and younger.
For information and reservations: Call 437-4949.
by CNB