Farewell for Fran Update: Aria is Alive!
By Safina Center Junior Fellow Katlyn Taylor
Aria’s fluke on April 21, 2023 in Monterey Bay. ©Katlyn Taylor.
After 8 months of worrying and wondering, we have a new chapter in the story of Fran the humpback whale. Her calf Aria has wandered back into Monterey Bay! She was first sighted on April 16th to the shock and relief of many whale watchers in the area. Last August Fran washed ashore dead after being struck by a ship off the central California coast. Aria was about 7-9 months old at the time. While some calves successfully gain independence from their mom and wean at that age, others stay with mom for 12 months or more. When Fran died, we didn’t even know if Aria had survived the ship strike event.
Aria playing with a Risso’s dolphin while swimming with her mom Fran - Spring 2022. ©Katlyn Taylor.
Whalenerds had trips scheduled that following weekend and I was hopeful that we would see her one of the days we were out there. I got on the boat on Friday and told Captain Kate my wish list of sightings for the trip. One of the things on the list was Aria. I am a firm believer in sending in your “order” with the universe and seeing if it gets filled. I always tell our guests on the boat to do the same thing.
Humpback whale swimming in the background of a raft of California sea lions. ©Katlyn Taylor.
They had seen her the day before so Kate was optimistic that we would find her. We started our trip with California sea lions and humpback whales only a few miles out from Moss Landing harbor. After enjoying them for a while and capturing all the fluke ID photos we could, we continued offshore in search of other wildlife and to look in the area where Aria was sighted the day before. A little whale popped up and we knew without seeing her tail that it was her. Kate had photographed her dorsal fin from both sides the day before which gave us reference photos to confirm it was her. She looked to be in good body condition, her skin looked healthy, and she was at a decent weight. Fantastic news! Especially when considering that she survived her first winter which it was a particularly stormy year off the California coast.
Aria, left dorsal fin view April 21, 2023. ©Katlyn Taylor.
Comparing Aria’s fluke pattern from spring 2022 to spring 2023 – colored circles show matching features. ©Katlyn Taylor.
The sighting of Aria brightened our spirits on deck. After watching her surface a few times, we gathered that she was likely feeding. Not wanting to overstay our welcome, we left her to continue with her day. It’s quite a relief to see her not just surviving but looking fit to make it through another summer. Aria will have many watchful eyes on her as she spends time in Monterey Bay. She still has challenges ahead as she begins her approach to adulthood, but this is a good start.
Aria’s updates in Happywhale. ©Katlyn Taylor.
You can follow along with her journey here on Happywhale. You can even sign up for email notifications whenever she is resighted.