Gray Whale Migration Whale Watching Physical Characteristics S

Gray Whale Migration & Whale Watching

Physical Characteristics S Adult females are slightly larger than males and measure ~50 feet long. S S Both sexes weigh 30 -40 tons. S Adult males measure 45 -46 feet in length. S The largest gray whales have flukes, or tails, that may span 10 feet. S Gray whales are gray with white patches. A 45 -foot, 35 -ton gray whale is about the same size as 10 large elephants.

Gray Whale Facts S The white patches mainly consist of barnacles and whale lice, which are attached to their skin. S On average, a whale carries over 400 pounds of barnacles on its body. S Whales rely on a layer of blubber up to 12 inches thick to help them maintain their body temperature. S Whales are voluntary breathers, which means they have to remember to breathe. This makes sleeping difficult. S Gray whales live to be 50 -60 years old. http: //www. biosbcc. net/ocean/marinesci/05 nekton/GWsouth. htm

Gray Whales’ Food Source S Except for babies, gray whales eat little or nothing during migration and in the lagoons of Mexico. S When they get home to their arctic feeding grounds, which are ice-free during the summer, they feast for 130140 days before heading south again. S It takes over 600 pounds of tiny krill (amphipods) and mysis shrimp to fill a gray’s stomach. S Gray whales have 2 -4 throat grooves about 5 feet in length. S These grooves expand during feeding, which requires a large intake of water and mud. S Gray whales feed on the bottom of the ocean floor, sifting through the mud with their baleen. http: //www. pbs. org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/library

What is a Baleen Whale? S Gray whales don’t have teeth; they have baleen. S Baleen is made of plates of keratin, a fingernail-like material that frays out into fine hairs. S Baleen hangs on either side of the jaw, where teeth might otherwise be located. S The plates are off-white and are 2 -10 inches in length. S The whales feed on the right side of their mouths, and sediment is strained by the baleen to catch crustaceans. S The crustaceans are trapped in the baleen, which the whale licks with its tongue to dislodge and eat them. http: //www. biosbcc. net/ocean/marinesci/05 nekton/GWmigration. htm http: //www. sfgate. com/getoutside/photos/dec 97/baleen. gif

Gray Whale Habitat S They are found only in the Pacific Ocean. S Along the coastline, they have a population of ~26, 000. Around Korea and Japan, a small group of 100 -250 whales is on the brink of extinction. S Gray whales became extinct in the North Atlantic Ocean in the 17 th century due to hunting. S The whales’ habitat ranges from the Arctic Ocean northwest of Alaska to the Baja peninsula in Mexico. http: //www. biosbcc. net/ocean/marinesci/05 nekton/GWmigration. htm

Gray Whale Behaviors S The whales migrate to give birth and mate in a warm climate. S They migrate along the coastline and are the only whale that eats from the ocean floor. S Gray whales form small pods from 3 -16 members. S Spy-hopping is a gray whale behavior where the whale pokes its head up to 10 feet out of the water to look around. S Gray whales also breach, or jump partially out of the water, causing a loud noise when they land. S This may be a form of communication, as are their various grunts, clicks, and whistles. http: //www. pbs. org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/library

Baby Whale S The baby whale weighs 1, 100 -1, 500 lbs. and is ~15 feet long at birth. S The warmer waters of Baja Mexico’s shallow lagoons help newborns conserve body heat. S S They are born lean and without blubber. S The milk contains 53% fat, and calves may gain 60 -70 pounds daily, building up blubber for their cold trip north. S Female whales help each other at birth. The “Auntie” pushes the newborn calf up to the surface to ensure it does not drown. The calves nurse for about 6 months, during which time the mother provides up to 50 gallons of milk each day.

Whale Nurseries S Gray whales migrate farther than any mammal on Earth. S Each year they swim from the cold Arctic to warm Mexican lagoons and back again, traveling over 10, 000 miles. S They leave the cold waters of the Bering Sea in November and swim for 55 days nonstop. S In January they arrive in the warm, safe lagoons of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, just in time to give birth. S The whales remain in the lagoons for 3 months and start their return trip to the Bering Sea in March. http: //www. pbs. org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/library/