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Gray Whale | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Gray Whale

Eschrichtius robustus

MammaliaShallow coastal shelf waters and sheltered lagoonsLeast Concern

Field profile

The gray whale is a mottled, barnacle-encrusted baleen whale of about 13 to 15 metres, with knuckles along the tailstock instead of a dorsal fin. It makes one of the longest migrations of any mammal, between Arctic feeding areas and lagoons in Baja California. The Atlantic population was extirpated centuries ago.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-01-10

Gray Whale

Gray whales feed lying on their side

Instead of straining plankton from open water, the gray whale rolls onto one flank on the seabed, sucks in sediment and filters out the small crustaceans living in it. Most individuals favour the right side, and their baleen wears accordingly.

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