In 18 years of west coast whaling the gray whale was hunted to near extinction. Atlantic populations were wiped out decades ago, leaving the Pacific grays as the last remaining race of gray whales on earth. In the 1940s they became protected by international agreement and remain protected today in their migration and summer feeding waters by American and Canadian law. Scammon's Lagoon, one of the principal calving grounds in Mexico, was declared a national whale reserve in 1972. Their comeback has been miraculous, from a few hundred to an estimated 17,000 today.
Some experts believe the burgeoning whale-watching industry poses a threat to whales.
The Canadian government has produced a booklet entitled Whale Watching, which contains guidelines for observing wild whales. It warns boaters not to chase or disturb resting whales or split up pods. A hundred metres is close enough, according to the guidelines. For many naturalists whale watching is an annual habit, an addiction that can be satisfied only by packing up and heading for the west coast in spring. We're fortunate we had the sagacity to save these intriguing sea giants before they were lost forever.