Baja lagoon surveys show sharp drop in mother–calf pairs; some mothers present in good condition

Steve Schwarz summarized decades of photographic and transect survey work in Baja California lagoons and described alarming declines in mother–calf counts. "Last year 2026 we had eight as opposed to 80 or more," Schwarz said of San Ignacio and other lagoons, and he described 2026 as a warm year that abbreviated lagoon residency for many whales.

Schwarz and colleagues use repeated transect counts and photo‑identification to generate indices of timing, residency and recruitment. They reported that while single whales often showed signs of emaciation in some years, the very few mothers with calves observed in 2025–2026 appeared in relatively good body condition — an unresolved puzzle for researchers. Schwarz also cited stranding totals: "As of January and August of 2026, we can see that there's been over 1,200 stranded whales that have been identified and examined," highlighting the geographic extent of mortality found on beaches.