DELAYS OF GRAYS OVER SOON.

Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Outdoors Editor

Each January sport-fishing landings begin offering whale-watching charters to compensate for decreased wintertime angling traffic.

But spotting the big denizens has been as slow as the fishing.

``We are not seeing as many whales as we normally see. We saw gray whales Saturday and orcas (killer whales) a week ago, but we haven't seen one since then,'' said Russ Harmon, owner of Cisco's Sportfishing in Oxnard. ``I don't know if it's the El Nino, but El Nino gets blamed for a lot of things.''

Actually, Harmon isn't far off. But the good news is that the numbers of gray whales moving from the North Pacific to their winter home and birthing lagoons of Baja California is likely to increase soon.

The whales are thought to be delaying their southbound migration because of extraordinarily warm conditions in the Arctic. The grays normally wait to swim to Mexico until ice packs form in Alaskan waters, which occurred late this winter, said Alisa Schulman-Janiger of San Pedro, coordinator of the American Cetacean Society's Gray Whale Census and Behavior Study.

Yet, if the migration is anything like it's been over the past two seasons, high numbers of whales will be observed in the coming weeks.

``We would expect the numbers to be increasing in the next week and build to a peak in the third or fourth week of January,'' Schulman-Janiger said.

Since 1979, volunteer census takers stationed at Point Vicente Interpretive Center in Rancho Palos Verdes have started their counts on Dec. 1. Through Monday, 94 southbound whales had been spotted. The numbers through the same period last year and the year before set records at 225 and 192, respectively.

Schulman-Janiger said that the numbers were so high because pregnant females were giving birth en route because of the delayed migration, instead of in Mexican waters. Also, since mother whales hug the shoreline for protection in kelp beds and to allow their calves to rest in calmer waters, they are more easily spotted from shore, increasing the counts.

The same should be true this year as the whales delay their travels even longer. ``We may see equal to or even greater numbers than last year,'' Schulman-Janiger said.

What cetaceans that are seen from shore - or sea - is merely a drop in the bucket when compared to the estimated 24,000 gray whales that make the trip south, then back to their North Pacific feeding grounds via the same route.

Where to watch whales

From sea or land, there are many spots from which to see cetaceans:

BY BOAT

Marina del Rey Sportfishing, Dock 52, Fiji Way, Marina del Rey; [phone]. Trips start Jan. 16. Departures: weekdays at 10 a.m.; weekends at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Costs: $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and children 12.

Redondo Sportfishing, 233 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach; [phone]. Daily, 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. Weekdays, $10 per person; weekends, $12 adults, $10 ages 12 and younger.

L.A. Harbor Sportfishing, 1150 Nagoya Way, Berth 79, San Pedro; [phone]. Weekdays, 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m.; weekends, 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. Adults $15, seniors $12, ages 12 and under $10; free for ages 4 and younger.

22nd Street Sportfishing, 141 W. 22nd St., San Pedro; [phone]. Trips start Saturday. Weekdays, 10 a.m., 1 p.m.; adults $12, $8 for seniors and ages 12 and under. Weekends, 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m.; $13 and $9.

Long Beach Sportfishing, 555 Pico Ave., Long Beach; [phone]. Weekends, 9 a.m., 12:30 p.m. Adults $12, $9 ages 12 and younger.

Marina Sportfishing, 180 Marina Drive, Long Beach; [phone]. Weekends, 10 a.m., 1 p.m. Adults $14, $12 seniors, $10 ages 12 and under.

Belmont Pier Sportfishing, Ocean and Terminal, Long Beach; [phone]. Weekdays, 10 a.m.; adults $8.50, seniors and ages 12 and under $7. Weekends, 10 a.m., 1 p.m.; $12 and $8.

Pierpoint Landing, 200 Aquarium Road, Long Beach; [phone]. Weekends, 10 a.m., 1 p.m.. Adults $14, $8 ages 15 and under.

Cisco's Sportfishing, 4151 S. Victoria Ave., Oxnard; [phone]. Daily, 9 a.m., 1 p.m. Adults $20, $15 seniors and ages 3 to 12; free for ages 2 and younger.

Harbor Village Sportfishing, 1591 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura; [phone]. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m. Adults $21, $16 seniors, $11 ages 12 and under, free for ages 2 and younger. Guaranteed to see a whale or next trip is free.

Island Packers, 1867 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura; [phone]. Daily, 9 a.m., 1 p.m. Adults $22, $15 ages 12 and under, ages 2 and younger are free.

Sea Landing, 301 W. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara; [phone]. Daily, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; $65 adults, $35 ages 4 to 12, free for ages 3 and under. Starting Feb. 8, daily, 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.; $27 and $16.

Special events:

Jan. 23, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 22nd Street Landing, 141 W. 22nd St., San Pedro. First of four trips by the American Cetacean Society. $40 for ACS members, $50 for nonmembers. Reservations: [phone].

Feb. 20, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Catalina Cruises, 320 Golden Shores Blvd., Long Beach. Adults $35, $25 ages 12 and under, free for ages 3 and younger. Tickets: [phone] or [phone].

March 13, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Catalina Cruises, Long Beach. Same prices as above. Tickets: [phone].

March 20, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 22nd Street Landing. Same details as Jan. 23 event. (Save $5 by paying before March 1.)

BY LAND

Point Vicente Interpretive Center, 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes; [phone]. Whale-census volunteers, who watch for activity from sunrise to sunset, provide fountains of information. Bring binoculars and layers of warm clothing.

Special events:

Whale Fiesta, March 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Point Vicente Interpretive Center.

- Compiled by Brett Pauly

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Photo

PHOTO While waiting for gray whales, boaters can spot porpoises.

Gus Ruelas/Daily News