_California Gray Whale_
No account of whaling would be complete without mention of the shore and
lagoon whaling of the California gray whale. There were 11 shore whaling
stations scattered along the coast of California from San Simeon to San
Diego, which had two stations. This whaling dates back to the gold rush
days of California. It was not an uncommon experience for a whaling ship
to come from the east and then to lose the entire crew in San Francisco
before they could get on into the North Pacific to whale.
Although the principal profit for these whalers came from the arctic
bowhead, it was customary to return to San Francisco to resupply in the
autumn, and then to whale the California gray during the winter
migration. Of course, this was whaling made to order because there was
no need to search. The shore stations were able to process more whales
in a day than a vessel could in a month of routine searching. Captain
Scammon followed the migrating whales to the lagoons where he found them
calving. These lagoons became the headquarters for the whaling ships
which found whaling even easier than they had along the migration route.
One of these lagoons still bears Scammon's name.
It was possible to watch the killing of whales from Point Loma, and from
this vantage point the whaling boats were directed by flag signals to
their quarry. The whales, once killed, were towed, tide permitting, by
the hard rowing of the whaling crews back to Ballast Point. The numerous
California shore stations have long since closed and rotted away and the
grounds occupied with new enterprises. Most of the details of this era
are lost, forever or buried in yellowing manuscripts and newspapers.
Although the gray whale may have been easy to find and to approach,
whalers noted that those which escaped had learned the implications of
whaling and thereafter were difficult to take. Lagoon whaling was
particularly hazardous because the mothers frequently would charge the
boats. Much of the time of the ship's carpenter was used repairing the
damaged boats. Of course, the exposure of the breeding and calving
grounds to whaling had a catastrophic effect, for the whales soon
disappeared. It is decidedly difficult to determine from the limited
records which remain just how abundant the gray whale was before whaling
started. One is likewise puzzled by the report that a thousand a day
passed San Diego. If this estimate had been made by an experienced
whaler, it might be reliable, but if it were made by a layman, it could
be most inaccurate. It is doubtful that anyone would have actually
counted the whales for even an hour, so that the figure is probably an
exaggeration.
The decline in the abundance of the gray whale occurred during the
period when whaling was nearly over because of the low price of oil. Two
brief subsequent attempts to whale this species produced only a small
return of individuals, leaving the species virtually extinct.