kanaloa

Grey Whales

Gray Whale

(Rhachianectes glaucus)

The shore-loving Gray Whale is found only in the North Pacific Ocean . Along the western coast of North America it migrates in winter as far south as the latitude of the State of Jalisco, Mexico, returning to the Arctic Ocean in the spring. Other herds of Gray Whales that pass the summer in Okhotsk Sea, along the Kamchatka coast and the Arctic Ocean, appear off southeastern Korea (Chosen) toward the end of November on their southward migration.
The Gray Whale has only two to four short throat furrows, a slight hump but no distinct dorsal fin. It attains a maximum length of about SO feet and, like other baleen whales, the females average larger than the males. Although the general coloration is black or very dark slate, the whole body from head to caudal flukes is usually marred by many white or light-gray circular scars, presumably left by parasitic cirripeds such as barnacles. The largest blades of whalebone in its mouth are from 14 to 18 inches long. These blades are thick and heavy, yellowish white or light yellow.
Gray Whale calves 16 to 18 feet in length are born usually in the last half of January, and are weaned 6 to 8 months later when they have grown to 25 feet.
In the Bering Sea, Gray Whales feed on several kinds of amphipods resembling sand fleas, When traveling along the shore, they submerge for 8 to 10 minutes at a time. The spout rises vertically to 10 or II feet.

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