The Scrictidae belong to a family of baleen cetaceans, which currently have only one species, Eschrichtius robustus, and They are commonly known as gray whales. Some studies indicate that it is closely related to other mysticete cetaceans, such as fin whales, more than to the whales themselves. This species was on the verge of extinction at the end of the 19th century due to massive hunting, mainly for oil. In fact, for many years it was thought to be extinct, until it was re-identified in the 20th century.
They are colossal animals, with large dimensions and capable of migrating for thousands of kilometers in the oceans. Despite the great population recovery, problems such as climate change could be affecting it today. We invite you to continue reading this file on our site so that you can document yourself about this fabulous marine mammal known as the gray whale
Gray Whale Characteristics
The gray whale is one of the largest cetaceans in the oceans. The common name refers to its intense gray color; They also have white patches along the body. A common appearance seen on their skin is the presence of some parasitic crustaceans, known as whale lice and others called whale barnacles. Additionally, in these animals it is common to observe scars, which also turn into a whitish color. An adult measures between 11-15 meters in length and the weight varies from 30 to 45 tons.
The gray whale has a narrow head, relatively triangular in shape, which tends to dip and curve into the blowholes above the head. It has wide shovel-shaped pectoral fins and the caudal fins are also evident, however, the dorsal fin is seen as a slight pronunciation or small hump. From this and in a caudal direction, some kind of knuckles or fleshy lumps are formed, which tend to vary from one individual to another. The mouth curves up and is quite long, giving the appearance of splitting the head in two. On the other hand, they have beards that do not usually exceed 50 cm with a color between white and yellowish.
For more information, we encourage you to read this other article on our site about Characteristics of whales.
Grey Whale Habitat
Currently, gray whales live in the oceans of countries such as Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and the United States. It is estimated to be extinct in Iceland, the Republic of Korea, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It is known to be extinct in the UK and its presence is uncertain in Vietnam.
The above data indicate that the current distribution range of this whale is limited to the North Pacific Ocean, generally in the neritic zone (coastal waters) of the mentioned countries. It is important to indicate that some sightings of gray whales have been documented outside their natural distribution range, as occurred in the Mediterranean Sea (Israeli coast) and on the Spanish coast. On the other hand, a stranding has been reported off the coast of El Salvador and one of these whales has been identified in Namibia.
Customs of the Gray Whale
These animals have few social tendencies, although they swim in small groups and their main behavioral aspect is constant movement at specific times of the year, making it one of the marine species with the highest migratory rate for feeding and reproduction purposes. They have the habit of raising half of their body vertically above the water, which allows them to observe their surroundings for about 30 seconds. This is known as spy jump Also, they can eventually jump out of the water, managing to take part of the body out and fall hard, splashing a large amount of water.
In general they usually spend between 6 to 7 months in their hibernation areas and, although a small percentage may stop migrating, most travel long distances on their trips, which add up between round tripsabout 20,000 km The usual migratory route allows them to be seen from the coast or on boats in the western coastal areas of Mexico and in regions of the United States such as California, Oregon, Washington, Columbia British and Alaska. Some estimates also indicate that a small group makes a journey between eastern Russia and the Asian coast. However, more precise studies done at the satellite level show that these groups migrate through the Pacific towards the hibernation zones in Mexico.
Gray Whale Feeding
Like the entire group of mysticetes, feed by filtration, so that they suck the water or mud from the bottoms, instead of which prefer to capture food, and then with the use of their tongue they push the water or mud against the baleen, where filtration occurs, the animals being trapped in these structures, while the aqueous component is expelled. Among the marine animals that gray whales eat we find a wide variety of small crustaceans, such as crab larvae, amphipods, krill and mysid shrimp, and also small clams and fish larvae.
These mammals usually feed in the Bering and Chukchi seas, but they also tend to do so on the Pacific coasts adjacent to Canada and the United States. During hibernation they maintain long fasting periods, where they subsist by taking advantage of the fat they have accumulated, and during this time they can lose up to 30% of their muscle mass. Contrary to what the majority of the population usually does, it has been identified that a small percentage give up migrating and choose to remain in the feeding area.
Gray whales, when feeding on the bottom, leave species of furrows due to the removal they do, and much of the mud they expel when filtering contains animals that they cannot retain and are used by local seabirds. A curious aspect that has been detected in a large number of individuals is that when they feed on the seabed, they tend to lean to the right side while sucking up the mud.
Grey Whale Reproduction
As for reproduction, the cetaceans that live in the Eastern Pacific mate and have their young off the coast of California and the Gulf of the same name. Both males and females can be with more than one partner during the breeding season. The mating season begins at the end of autumn, at the beginning of their migratory process, while births and breeding take place towards the winter.
Generally a single calf is born in late December or early March, after a gestation period of11-13 months Mothers maintain a close relationship with their offspring, who feed on highly nutritious milk for up to 8 months on average. The separation of the young from their parents usually occurs around the age of 2. It is common for mothers and calves to stay quite close to the coasts while they make their migratory route, this most likely to avoid attacks by orcas, although the gray whale is capable of dying to defend its child against any attack that occurs..
For more information, we encourage you to read this other article on How do whales reproduce?
Gray Whale Conservation Status
As we mentioned at the beginning, the gray whale was on the verge of extinction and, although it failed to recover in several regions, in In general, the population did, which is why the International Union for Conservation of Nature has currently classified it as least concern However, they do not leave of certain threats to the species, since accidents with boats have been identified, as well as the entanglement of the same in fish traps, which ends up generating the death of these animals by human origin.
It is presumed that another aspect that affects these whales, and which could be the cause of the specimens getting lost from their usual routes, is climate change, which has repercussions on ocean temperatures, significantly disturbing the species.
Among the conservation measures, the gray whale is found under different protection programs, such as the International Convention for the Regulation of Whale's hunt.
In general, the oceans are rich in animal diversity and for centuries we have been significantly attacking them. The gray whale is a rare but significant case of the important recovery of a species that has been on the verge of becoming completely extinct, which shows us that we can establish forceful actions to protect all the animals on the planet.
