KidZone Animals
Whales: Gray Whales
Photographer, Merill Gosho; used with permission
under the Public Domain
Gray whales, or Eschrichtius robustus, are part of the order Mysticeti. Other baleen whales in this order include Blue, Humpback, and Right whales. Gray whales live in shallower waters than most other baleen whales. As their name suggests, Gray whales usually range from dark gray to black in color. They have white and yellow spots on their bodies. The white spots are clusters of barnacles, and the yellow spots are small crustaceans hitching a ride.
Like all baleen whales, Gray whales have two blowholes (toothed whales have only one). They have long, flat snouts and no dorsal fins, but they do have a single hump on their backs, which is often mistaken for a dorsal fin. Gray whales are sometimes confused with Humpback whales due to these features.
Gray whales can reach a length of 15 meters (49 feet) and weigh up to 32,000 pounds (14,500 kilograms). As with other baleen whales, the females are larger than the males.
Interestingly, Gray whales are known to be very playful! Because they enjoy shallow waters, they have been known to ride waves (surf's up, dude!). Additionally, Gray whales commonly jump fully out of the water (breaching), and it is suspected that they do this for fun. If that's not cute enough, Gray whales have also been observed spyhopping, which occurs when a whale lifts its head out of the water to look around.
Key Points:
- Order: Gray whales are part of the order Mysticeti (baleen whales).
- Habitat: Live in shallower waters compared to other baleen whales.
- Physical Characteristics: Dark gray to black color with white and yellow spots (barnacles and small crustaceans), two blowholes, long flat snouts, and a single hump on their backs.
- Size: Can reach up to 15 meters (49 feet) long and weigh up to 32,000 pounds (14,500 kilograms).
- Behavior: Known for their playful behavior, including wave riding, breaching, and spyhopping.