More than 25,000 gray whales have been born in the lagoons of Baja California Sur in the past 30 years, environmental officials said as the breeding season comes to an end and the whales make their way northward.

Every year, after traveling 8,000 to 11,000 kilometers southward over two to three months, eastern gray whales begin to arrive in the calving lagoons and bays in a biosphere reserve on the west coast of the state in late December to early January. The three most popular are San Ignacio, Magdalena Bay and Laguna Ojo de Liebre.

The death toll among the whales during the 30-year period was 735, mostly due to natural causes. The most to die in one year were 81 in the year 2,000 and the least were five in 1995.

Some researchers have suggested that an elevated death toll can be correlated to the effects of the El Niño and La Niña weather phenomena, which among other effects can cause sea water temperatures to change.

Source: BCS Noticias (sp)