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        Calendar: July 2009

Natural Events

Humpback and blue whales are sighted in the Monterey Bay Sanctuary through October.

Loggerhead sea turtles begin hatching from nests on Georgia's beaches and continue through October. Loggerheads use Gray's Reef Sanctuary for food and as a resting site.

Volunteers counting animalsFrom June through August many species of jellies appear and drift in the nutrient rich waters in the Cordell Bank Marine Sanctuary. Black footed Albatross are most abundant in Sanctuary waters while Sooty Shearwaters blanket the food rich waters of the California Coast by the millions through September as they continue on their circumnavigation of the Pacific ending up in Chile to nest.

In the Florida Keys, several coral species have a spectacular form of reproduction -- they spawn synchronously, late at night, often during the week after the full moon during August or September.

Whale sharks travel through the waters of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary until September.

In the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, fog diminishes near midsummer. Underwater visibility increases.

Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), and sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) can be observed in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary feeding on krill from the nutrient rich, upwelled water (late-May through September).

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) feed in rich, upwelled waters of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (May through August).

Pink-Footed Shearwaters (Puffinus creatopus) and Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) visit the Santa Barbara Channel from the southern hemisphere (May through October).

Ashy Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma homochroa) and Black Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma melania) visit the Santa Barbara Channel (mid-May to mid-October).

Endangered Least Terns (Sterna antillarum browni) can be seen in the Channel Islands region (May through August).

California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pupping and breeding season (May through July).

Xantus's murrelets (Synthiboramphus hypoleucus) breed and nest on the Channel Islands (March through July).


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