Come face-to-face with the wonders of wildlife through species-focused episodes and related classroom activities. How long is a gray whale’s pregnancy? It is gray or black, mottled with white, and has short yellow baleen Here are six more fun facts about the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). The gray whale is one of the animal kingdom's great migrators. These plates are arranged in two groups of 130 – 150 plates, and they are ivory to yellow in color. What can gray whales teach us about survival? Commerce., NOAA Tech. This means that they are filter feeders who use a sieve like structure in their mouths made of keratin (the same substance as human hair and nails) to trap tiny creatures that pass through. Gray whales have very long and robust baleen plates, which they use to filter worms, crabs and snails from the silt. The whales winter and breed in the shallow southern waters and balmier climate. Crazy about roller coasters? Gray whales are predominantly bottom feeders and forage along the ocean floor. Females tend to be a bit larger than the males. You will notice whiskers by their mouths. Memo. The whale uses its snout to forage by dislodging tiny creatures from the seafloor. The male gray whale can reach 45 feet, while the female can reach 50 feet and weigh 30 or 35 tons. When they surface, you can often see the “mud trail” left behind as they filter the sea water out of their mouths, leaving behind the prey which they swallow. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994. Take a closer look at these encyclopedia books including information about animal habitats, behavior, and scientific classification. New York: Smithsonian Books, 1984. Gray whales reach sexual maturity somewhere between 5 and 11 years of age, a gray whale that lives to be 40 years old could have as many as 18 calves. Gray Whale Facts. Gray whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal on earth. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- Gray Whale Facts for Kids. So are we! Each year around October the gray whales in and around the eastern pacific Alaskan waters begin their migration trip from their feeding grounds to their mating grounds around the Baja peninsula of Mexico and the southern Gulf of California. Whale "vomit" is used in perfumes. Unlike most other baleen whales, gray whales seem to have a series of 8 to 14 bumps on their back. A 3-4 week clerkship for veterinary students wanting to augment their knowledge and experience in non-domestic animal medicine. The long distance travellers. While in the lagoons, some gray whales are unusually receptive to the presence of humans. Eschrichtius robustus. The gray whale (Eschrichtiidae) family is an endangered species. They are easy to see with their gray color, which is actually more charcoal black than it is gray. They are in place to help them to sense what is going on around them. The gray whale is in the sub-order Mysticeti. Like all whales, gray whales surface to breathe, so migrating groups are often spotted from North America's west coast. Gray whales are 1 of 14 different baleen whale species. The ocean is part whale pee. Gray whales have been protected from commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) since its establishment in 1946. They hunt seabed creatures by rolling over on one side then swimming slowly along sucking up sediment and the small creatures that live in it. and D.P. Today gray whales are protected by international law, and their numbers have grown. The migrations of the gray whale are the longest by any mammal, in search of … 2. A piece of gray whale baleen, also called whalebone, is about 18 inches long and has a consistency much like a fingernail. US Dept. In 1994, the gray whale was removed from the United States endangered species list. They can grow to be more than 50 feet long and to weigh more than 36 tons. What WWF Is Doing. Find quick information and fun facts with these 1-page easy resources about animals from A to Z. Gray Whale: Quick Facts The Gray Whale is one of the largest animals in the world. Although the remaining populations of gray whale were thought to be relatively isolated from each other, recent data shows that at least some of the whales in the western population actually migrate all the way round the rim of the Pacific and down to Mexico. The gray whale is one of the animal kingdom's great migrators. Guide to the Biology and Behavior of Cetaceans. The reduced number of baleen reflects the fact that they are bottom feeders. Female grey whales are slightly bigger than males. The rostrum (upper jaw) is dimpled and each of the little depressions contains one stiff hair. The Convention in International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) is an international treaty developed in 1973 to regulate trade in certain wildlife species. 10 Interesting Facts About Gray Whales March 7, 2019. They are quite large with a full grown size of about 50 feet in length. Baleen whales do not have teeth but rather they are equipped with 100s of baleen plates and keratin bristles. All rights reserved. The gray whale often stays near the coast, because there it can find lots of food. Gray whales are bottom feeders and forage in shallow coastal waters. Gray whale (Eschrichtius Robustus) is the only species from the genus Eschrichtius that is alive today. The gray whale differs from the other two baleen whale families primarily in its feeding behavior, it is a bottom feeder. The eastern Pacific gray whale has made a remarkable recovery from times when they were heavily hunted. San Diego: Thunder Bay Press, 1998. The largest grey whales have flukes, or tails, that may span ten feet. Whales prefer one fin over the other, just like humans are right-handed or left-… Gray whales are baleen whales that have a short, very coarse baleen relative to other whales. The gray whale (also known as the grey whale) is a medium-sized whale found mainly in the North Pacific Ocean. The average adult grey whale grows between 44-48ft long but can reach up to 50ft and weigh as much as 80,000lbs, which is the equivalent to that of 4-5 elephants! The changing seasons drive the endless travels. The World's Whales - The Complete Illustrated Guide. It then filters these morsels with its baleen—a comblike strainer of plates in the upper jaw. DeMaster. Gray whales are bottom feeders, consuming a wide range of benthic and epibenthic invertebrates. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, whalers hunted gray whales to the brink of extinction - twice. There Are Three Lagoons That the Gray Whales Migrate to in Baja Laguna Ojo de Liebre in Guerrero Negro, Laguna San Ignacio, and Bahía Magdalena. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T8097A12885255. Whales and Dolphins. Gray Whale Description. The upper jaw is arched in profile, and slightly overlaps the lower jaw. The species gets its name from gray patches on its skin, which are scars left by parasites. When looking for food it rolls sideways while moving along the ground of the ocean to gather sludge. NOAA Fisheries – Gray Whale Species Profile. Gray whales are considered a medium-sized whale, and span up to 45 feet (14 meters). This whale species has the least amount of baleen, approximately 130 baleen strips on each side of jaw. However, scientists say the lice and barnacles do not harm the whale, and it is possible they may actually helpthe whale by feeding off of dead skin, which the whale needs to get rid of. Find a variety of free classroom activities that will keep your students engaged and excited to learn about animals. The people of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment are truly and deeply driven to inspire on behalf of, to celebrate and connect with, and to care for the natural world we all share. The gray whale was ascribed to several other names, including desert whale, devilfish, gray back, mussel digger, and rip sack. Every year, they swim over 10,000 miles roundtrip between Mexico's nursery lagoons and feeding grounds in the Arctic. The Gray Whale is one that people seem to be able to identify when they are looking into the ocean. In the United States, the Marine Mammal Protection Act protects all whale species, so it is illegal to hunt or harass them. APPEARANCE. Gray Whale Facts & History: Three Gray whales in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. Traveling as much as 14,000 miles per year the gray whale is known to make one of the longest migration trips of any known mammal. Learn more about the Seasonal Camp Counselor program at SeaWorld. They dive, scoop and swallow—gulping mouthfuls of mud from the sea floor and filtering out tiny crustaceans through baleen. The eastern Pacific gray whale population was removed from the Endangered Species List in 1994 because it seems to have reached pre-whaling numbers (about 21,000 whales in 1993). The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), also known as the grey whale, gray back whale, Pacific gray whale, or California gray whale, is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. Status review of the eastern north Pacific stock of gray whales. The gray whale is the only living member of the baleen whale family Eschrichtiidae. The gray whale feeds mainly on benthic crustaceans, which it eats by turning on its side (usually its right side, which scientists say results in the loss of eyesight in the right eye for many older animals). Gray whales undertake one of the world's longest migrations, making a yearly round trip of 15,000-20,000 km. Gray whales are a member of the group of whales known as baleen whales. Weighing in at 60,000 pounds and measuring up to 39 feet is one of the ocean’s greatest miracles.The Gray Whale, also known as the grey whale, gray back whale, Pacific gray whale or California gray whale, has more to it than meets the eye. The gray whale (grey whale, Eschrichtius robustus, devil fish). No one knows for sure how long gray whales live, but scientists estimate 40 to 80 years. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T8097A12885255.en/. Stirring up the bottom actually provides food for other animals as well, birds and fish follow feeding gray whales regularly. WWF and partners have been instrumental in strengthening protection for the western North Pacific gray whales. Our overarching zoological mission is to foster conservation awareness and to impart action on our park guests to preserve wild animals and wild places. The western Pacific stock is still at dangerously low numbers (perhaps 100 to 200 individuals) and the Atlantic stock is thought to be extinct. Reilly, S.B., Bannister, J.L., Best, P.B., Brown, M., Brownell Jr., R.L., Butterworth, D.S., Clapham, P.J., Cooke, J., Donovan, G.P., Urbán, J. NMFS-AFSC-103. That means that one gray whale weighs more than 5 full-grown African elephants! The blue whale is the largest known creature to ever inhabit the planet. Accumulated ear wax can tell a whale's age. Taken with tigers? SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. The gray whale is the only living member of the baleen whale family Eschrichtiidae.