Gray Whale

California Gray Whales (Eschrichtius robustus) are large baleen whales known for their remarkable migrations and nearshore sightings along the Pacific coast of North America.

Quick Facts:

• Length: 40–50 feet (12–15 meters)

• Weight: Up to 90,000 pounds (40,000 kg)

• Lifespan: 50–70 years

• Status: Least Concern (but subject to regional fluctuations)

• Habitat: Coastal waters of the eastern North Pacific

Migration:

• Gray whales have one of the longest migrations of any mammal—traveling up to 12,000 miles (19,000 km) round-trip annually.

• Summer Feeding Grounds: Cold, food-rich waters in the Bering and Chukchi Seas.

• Winter Breeding Grounds: Warm lagoons of Baja California, Mexico.

• Calves are born during winter in Baja lagoons and travel north with their mothers in spring.

Feeding Behavior:

• Gray whales are bottom feeders, scooping up sediments from the ocean floor and filtering out amphipods and other small invertebrates through their baleen plates.

• Unlike many other whales, they often feed in shallow waters, making them easier to observe from land.

Behavior & Interaction:

• Gray whales are curious and may approach boats—especially in Baja’s San Ignacio Lagoon, where “friendly whales” are known to interact with humans.

• They are often seen breaching, spyhopping, and lobtailing near the surface.

Threats

• Climate change affecting feeding grounds

• Ship strikes

• Entanglement in fishing gear

• Occasional unexplained die-offs, such as the 2019–2021 Unusual Mortality Event along the U.S. West Coast