Gray Whale

A gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a large marine mammal and a species of baleen whale. It is known for its long migrations, mottled gray skin, and its unique method of bottom-feeding. 🐋

Gray whales have a dark, mottled grayish-brown body with patches of white and orange. The patterns on their skin are actually scars from barnacles and lice that attach to their bodies, and these patterns are unique to each individual. They have no dorsal fin but a series of small bumps or ridges leading to their tail.

Gray whales are a highly migratory species, traveling up to 12,000 miles each year from their cold-water feeding grounds in the Arctic to their warm-water breeding grounds in Mexico. They are filter feeders and a unique bottom feeder. They swim on their side and scoop up sediment from the seafloor, filtering out crustaceans and other small invertebrates.

Gray whales are known to be quite curious and will often approach boats. They are also famous for their "spy-hopping" behavior, where they poke their heads vertically out of the water, possibly to get a better look at their surroundings.