Grey Whale: Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljeborg, 1861)
Grey Whale: A long-range migrant of the North Pacific and Amerasian Arctic
Size
- Average 14m (46 feet) and 35,000kg (80,000 pounds)
- Baleen 20cm (7 inches) long
Color & Characteristics
- Mottled gray
- No dorsal fin, but a low hump followed by a series bumps (knuckles) on dorsal ridge of tail stock
Habitat
- Shelf & coastal, North Pacific to Chukchi & Beaufort Seas
- Migratory: most animals winter in Baja California where calves are born
Feeding
- Only whale capable of benthic feeding; also feeds on epi-benthic and planktonic organisms
- Wide range of prey including amphipods, cumaceans and other crustaceans, worms
- Little feeding occurs in the wintering grounds
Life cycle
- Size at birth 4.5m (15 feet) and 689kg (1500 pounds)
- Sexual maturity at 8 years
- Females have calves every 2-3 years
- Longevity over 40 years
Behavior
- Short dives, usually flukes raised before prolonged dive
- When feeding on benthic prey, often surfaces with mud streaming from mouth
- Small groups, no lasting associations
- Fiercely defend themselves and calf against predators/whalers
Page Author: Sue Moore, Lloyd Lowry & Bodil Bluhm
Created: Aug 24, 2008
