Knowra Gray whale Gray whale The gray whale is a baleen whale that migrates between Arctic feeding grounds and warmer breeding areas. Eastern North Pacific gray whales are especially known for long coastal migrations and sheltered calving lagoons.
Gray whale migration : The seasonal journey of gray whales between high-latitude feeding grounds and lower-latitude breeding areas. The eastern North Pacific population follows one of the longest migrations of any mammal.
Whale watching : The observation of whales in their natural habitat, usually from boats or shore. Gray whales are regularly watched along their coastal migration route.
Baleen whale : A whale belonging to the group Mysticeti, which feeds using baleen instead of teeth. The gray whale is a baleen whale with specialized feeding and migration patterns.
Whaling : The hunting and killing of whales for meat, oil, baleen, or other products. Commercial whaling greatly reduced gray whale populations before legal protections.
Eastern North Pacific gray whale : The gray whale population that migrates between Arctic feeding areas and breeding lagoons off Mexico. This is the population chiefly associated with the long coastal migration described here.
Benthic feeding : Feeding on organisms living in or on the seafloor. Gray whales commonly take prey from sediment by filtering it through baleen.
Cetacean strandings : Events in which whales, dolphins, or porpoises become stranded on shore. Gray whale stranding patterns can signal changes in health, food supply, or environmental conditions.
Cetacean : A fully aquatic mammal in the order Cetacea, including whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Gray whales belong to the mammalian lineage that returned to aquatic life.
International Whaling Commission : An international body established to regulate whaling and promote whale conservation. Its protections helped end commercial hunting of gray whales in much of their range.
San Ignacio Lagoon : A lagoon on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula used by gray whales for breeding and calving. Its sheltered waters are a prominent winter destination for eastern North Pacific gray whales.
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