OVERVIEW
The gray whale is a large whale found in the northern Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Instead of a dorsal fin, they have a hump and ridge of bumps along their backs. As baleen whales, they filter food from the water through the special bristle-like structures in their mouths. Gray whales will often stay close to the shore and feed from shallow water. Their migrations take them from breeding to feeding areas, often traveling over 12,000 miles.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Gray whales were named "devil-whales" by whalers due to their extremely aggressive fighting behavior when they attempted to catch them.
- Unlike toothed whales, which are born with a single blowhole, the gray whale possesses two blowholes.
