The gray whale

The Gray Whale

Sally B



Where they were born and how they adapted

Gray whales are born during migration or in the shallow bays of
Mexico from early January to mid-February. They’re food source when
they are born come from their mothers. They nurse on their mother's
milk. They do this for about 6-8 months.



Along the journey

- From mid-February to May , Eastern North Pacific gray whales can be
seen migrating along the U.S West coast. While Gray whales migrate,
it’s very uncommon for them to find a lot of food. But when they do find
food, it would normally be squid, crab larvae, herring eggs, ghost
shrimp, and small bait shrimp like capelin



Where they end up

- They usually end up in the North pacific Ocean. When
they finally settle down, there is more food available for
them. Food like Amphipods, which are crustaceans
resembling shrimp, and this makes up about 90% of
their diet.



My journey

- Gray whales travel 12,000 miles from the Arctic to the lagoons of
Baja, Mexico. Gray whales migrate north each spring to feast and
grow fat. They migrate south each fall to mate and give birth in
lagoons in mexico.



Natural Challenges

- Natural challenges gray whales have are collisions with marine vessels, thye
can cause injury and death, as does entanglement in fishing gear. Pollution,
coastal development, climate change, and whale watching disturbances can
all also play a big role in these challenges for gray whales. This isn't
something that goes on in specific parts of their life, they deal with this
throughout their whole life.



Human Impacts

- When Humans go fishing they sometimes tend to catch the whale
with parts of their fishing gear. Sometimes they tend to get hit by
ships.



Other information

- Adult gray whales can be as long as 15 meters.
- Newborn gray whales are about 5 meters long.
- They are gray with some whitish blotches
- Gray whales don’t have teeth.