_Esthetic_
Already the whale has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of
Californians and tourists who have been thrilled to see such an animal.
Currently each season excursion boats are transporting visitors on a
2-hour excursion practically out onto the backs of the whales. It is
hoped that the pleasure which it offers man will transcend the brief
monetary profit which might accrue to a few whalers. It would indeed be
shortsighted to let commercial interests deprive man of such a unique
whale which can be enjoyed so easily by so many.
_Scientific_
There is real need to protect the gray whale for scientific studies. The
principal problem in the study of populations of whales is to learn how
large the population is and what are the various forces which limit its
size. Such knowledge would make it possible for the industry to decide
how many whales could be taken each season without reducing the
population. The concept of taking only those whales which would
overpopulate the habitat is an attractive one, and this would be in the
long run, most profitable and stabilize both the whale population and
the industry. Such knowledge also would prevent the overexpansion of the
industry, which would also reduce the profit and hasten the decline of
the resource.
Up to now, the studies which have been made to gain this knowledge have
to be made on populations which are under severe exploitation. The
researcher can never be certain that his findings are normal and useful
in estimating the total population. The California gray whale provides
him with a control population which is not under predation by man.
Furthermore, this population becomes concentrated during breeding and
calving and briefly during migration so that counting the total
population is feasible.
_Commercial_
There is no doubt that the whaling industry will resume the harvest of
the California gray whale once it has recovered. This is indeed
unfortunate as the species is neither abundant nor large enough to
provide much profit. Certainly history will repeat itself and the grand
spectacle of the California gray whale migration will require another
thirty or more years to repeat itself. The future status of the
California gray whale may not necessarily have the same fortunate
outcome, as the whaling industry at the present time is much more
thorough. Furthermore, competition between the various whaling nations
makes adjustment of regulations slow and cumbersome--much too slow for a
species so limited in numbers and so accessible to complete
extermination.
[Illustration: The bone pile at the Moss Landing, Calif., whaling
shore station, photographed 1919. _Courtesy San Francisco Maritime
Museum Association._]
Already the Russians have expressed proprietary interest because they
control the summer feeding grounds. Likewise, with the same reasoning,
the Mexicans control the breeding waters. It would appear that the
American interests, limited to two small shore stations at San
Francisco, must be content to secure those whales which will escape the
efficient Russian and Japanese fleets which could, at the most opportune
moment, secure the species before the beginning of the long migration.
At any rate, the species can only serve as an extra species in areas
where whaling is already marginal because of limited stocks. It is hoped
that eventually the whaling interest will remove the gray whale from
whaling, leaving it as a living memorial to whaling.