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Right on schedule, the Great Lakes Whale Migration has begun for the 2026 season, and we are starting to see whales playing in the waters surrounding the Old Mission Peninsula. As with previous years, the migration always begins around April 1st, and this year is no exception.
It was sheer luck that I was able to get this photo of a whale jumping out of the water at Bowers Harbor. I’d been to the recycling station and noticed that the sunset was really gorgeous over West Bay, so I drove down Devil’s Dive Road to take some photos. There it was. My first whale of the season!
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Even though the whale migration always happens around April 1st, it’s always a thrill to see my first whale. Based on what I’ve seen in the past, I’m going to say this was probably a Humpback whale. I expect that we’ll start to see more whales in the waters around the Old Mission Peninsula in the coming days.
As you might recall, Bowers Harbor is where I — and some lucky folks at the annual Books at the Boathouse fundraiser — saw the first whale last year. I was talking and laughing with Peninsula Community Library Director Vicky Shurly and Board Member Nancy Davy, and lo and behold, a whale jumped out of the harbor right in front of us!
A couple days ago, I talked with avid whale watcher Rudy Rudolph, and he said that he and Patti spotted their first whale of the season in Old Mission Harbor on their way home from the Legion Dinner. I’ll have to get down that way and see if there are any swimming around.
As mentioned, the whales always show up around April 1st each year. In 2024, I spotted a whale at sunset in West Bay, which was just spectacular. The year before, I saw two whales frolicking around Old Mission Harbor, and it was quite a thrill to see two at once. Check out all the previous Great Lakes Whale Migration photos here.
Great Lakes Whale Migration – The Beginning
As always with my annual report on the Great Lakes Whale Migration, I have to give a shout-out to Merlin “Zeke” Dumbrille, who began tracking the migration years ago on WTCM Newstalk Radio. Merlin, a beloved radio announcer for decades (and host of the popular “Farm and Orchard Time,” which I’m also continuing here on Old Mission Gazette with my farm reports), has since passed away, but I am happy to continue his “Whale Watch” legacy here.
Along with reporting on the whale migration each year, I’ll never forget how Merlin would hook a long cord to his microphone and walk out on the ice to Power Island to see if he could officially announce that the bay was frozen over, giving up-to-the-minute reports back to Ron Jolly in the radio studio. I sure do miss Merlin.
Have you seen any whales around the Old Mission Peninsula? Let us know in the comments section below!
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Thx Ms. Jane !
Thanks, I look forward to the pics every year as we are away. And the migration period seems to end before we get home mid April. This ranks right up there with Gaylord’s elk riding days.
Love it!! Right outside my front window in BH. 😉
Wow! I’m so happy and relieved to hear of Whale sighting and migration. It was many years ago, living on west bay in a Frank Loyd Wright designed house with a couple of unmarried fellows like myself. It was April 1st of that year in the late 1970’s. Coming down the hill from the house on my way to town, one jumped clear out of the water, disturbing some fishermen in a boat out there, that they almost capsized. Since that time I had moved away to live in Florida and California, where whales are more commonly seen. So I know a whale if I see one. Having moved back to northern Michigan recently, I’m reassured that the whales are still here!