The mothers and their calves typically remain fairly close to the shore on their migration up the California coast because it's safer and food is more abundant.A pod of five killer whales surrounded and attacked a gray whale calf in Monterey Bay on April 27, 2019.However, as they come across Monterey Bay, the geography makes it harder for them to stay close to the coast. When fully grown the gray whale can grow to lengths of over 50 ft. long, however their average size is closer to 44 – 48 ft. long.As with other baleen whales the female gray whales usually grow slightly larger than their male counterparts.In terms of weight these marine mammal can measure in at up to 40 tons when fully developed.The gray whale is a dark grayish slate color with white patches covering its body, hence its name.In many cases these marine mammals may also be c… They tell us about their lives and their world,but if we listen,they will also tell us about ourselves. Once the food is inside the mouth, the tongue is lifted up and the mysids become trapped on the inside of the baleen. The common name of the whale comes from the gray patches and white mottling on its dark ski… If they can successfully run the gauntlet, it’s back to finding as much food as possible and avoiding the hunters' harpoons.Gray whales are bottom feeders, consuming a wide range of benthic and epibenthic invertebrates.

Their pectoral flippers are broad, paddle-shaped, and pointed at the tips. But they are specialized for feeding on bottom-dwelling crustaceans. 1014705,Humpback whale underwater - Vanessa Mignon,Bottlenose dolphin - Charlie Phillips/WDC. What do gray whales eat? Gray whale moms will often do everything they can to protect their young, but, as was the case Saturday, it's often not enough. The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), also known as the grey whale, gray back whale, Pacific gray whale, or California gray whale, is a baleen whalethat migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. Still, they may get to snack on schooling squid, krill, crab larvae, herring eggs, ghost shrimp, and small bait fish such as capelin. Gray whales usually also have huge amounts of barnacles and whale lice attached predominantly to the head and body.As far as the north western Pacific population is concerned, we don’t really know, except to say that it must be similar to those in the eastern north Pacific and involve long migrations from warm to colder waters and back again.In summer it’s all about finding as much food as possible, and fattening up before embarking on a long journey south to warmer waters where it’s all about breeding and rearing their young. It reaches a length of 14.9 meters (49 ft), a weight of up to 41 tonnes (90,000 lb) and lives between 55 and 70 years, although one female was estimated to be 75-80 years of age. 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. Gray Whales feed on benthic crustaceans that are found on the sea bed. Blue whales can eat up to 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms) of food They have been hunted for thousands of years but it was commercial whaling that had the biggest impact.By the end of the 19th century it had become commercially unviable to hunt gray whales and during the 20th century numbers recovered as the whales were afforded protection. Orcas hang around the bay waiting to take advantage of the young calves' vulnerability in deep, open water.Gray whale moms will often do everything they can to protect their young, but, as was the case Saturday, it's often not enough.The killer whales were spotted in the area again Sunday, foraging after their successful hunt.Gray whale calves are expected to keep coming through the Monterey Bay over the next month, so it's likely hungry orcas will be spotted off the central coast through the end of May.Meanwhile, further north, it's the start of humpback season near San Francisco. In fact, they carry over 400 pounds of barnacles and whale lice. As their name suggests, gray whales are grey in colour – although a more marbled than plain grey – with a relatively small, narrow head, which arches distinctively between the blowhole and snout. Please read our.A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.Registered Charity (England and Wales) No. Most gray whales turn on their right side to feed (but like humans some are 'left-handed') and as a result, the baleen on the right side is usually shorter and more worn than the baleen on the left side, and the right side of the head is more scarred from rooting around on the bottom.Gray whales are the most coastal of the large whales, rarely venturing more than 20 – 30kms offshore.