Turn your back to the yellows sands of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico and see what's spraying out to sea. Each year, thousands of gray whales migrate from the Bering Sea to the warm lagoons along the Pacific coast, and here they mate, give birth, and introduce their calves to the wonders of the world.
These whales once lived on both sides of the Pacific Ocean and in the Atlantic, but now only the Pacific population remains, thriving especially in the west. Early hunters nicknamed them "Devilfish," for the fierce way mothers protect their young. But still they were no match for harpoons and guns. When hunters found the calving lagoons of Baja California, even the Eastern Pacific population came close to extinction until the International Whaling Commission made moves to protect them in 1947.
Gray Whales have patchy gray skin while white and dark markings give the whale a sickly appearance. Like most whales, play host to a number of parasites such as whale lice and barnacles. Their bottom-feeding method leaves them cris-crossed with scratches as... (... more information below the photos)
Gray Whale |
Eschrichtius Robustus The annual migration of the Gray Whale or Eschrichtius robustus is thought to be the longest of any mammal. |
Gray Whale Photo |
Gray Whales |
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Grey Whale |
Grey Whales |
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Gray whales, like their humpback and fin cousins, are baleen whales. Feeding mainly on small bottom-dwelling creatures in the high arctic, gray whales scoop sediment and food into their mouths from the ocean floor before filtering it through the fibrous baleen plates hanging from the upper jaw. Their other nickname, "Mussel Digger" is apt.
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