Gray whale spotted in northwest waters for first time this year

Researchers spotted the first gray whale of the year – a sighting they call a sign of spring.

A photo shows the whale's 27th visit into northwest waters on the 12,000-mile migration.

Each year, thousands of gray whales make the long migration from their Arctic feeding grounds to the warm lagoons of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, traveling constantly at about five knots and averaging 75 miles per day.

>> Click here to see photos of the Whales in the Sound. 

Midway through the journey, the whales, which can reach 50 feet and 40 tons, take a break in the Sound for what some call the shrimp buffet.

“There are nearly a dozen regular whales that return to these waters each spring to feed on ghost shrimp using a dangerous strategy, feeding in shallow intertidal waters and risking stranding,” said John Calambokidas of Cascadia Research Collective.

>> Related: Last year northwest saw unprecedented sightings of large humpback whale groups in Salish Sea

The whale, named Patch, is part of a small subset of grays – called Sounders – which make the detour into northern Puget Sound for a couple months to feed on the shrimp.

Cox Media Group