La Gray whale It is a majestic animal, it is known as the king of the oceans and because of its enormous size there should be no doubt about why, do you have any doubts about this specimen of the seas? Join us to solve all your doubts.
This marine giant is part of the “Eschrichtiidae” family that are above average in length, their most specific habitat is the different northern regions of the Pacific Ocean. Although it is called a "whale", some scientific studies carried out on them have shown that they are more closely related to fin whales.
Although it is true that they live in the north of the Pacific Ocean, it is no less true that when migrating to another place it lasts a long time, this whale makes an extensive journey when the migration season arrives, approaching territory located at the north of Mexico so that the female whale can give birth to her calf in the winter season, from Mexican territory she swims to the north of the Bering Sea, being in those waters where she spends the entire summer season.
This whale also continued its journey through the North Atlantic Ocean, specifically in the waters that narrow the borders between Japan and the Russian region of Kamchatka, although it did this for thousands of years, they became extinct and their descendants no longer reached those territories of the North Atlantic, considering that they continue to make short trips through the western Pacific when the mating season arrives.
Characteristics of the Gray Whale
To learn more about the gray whale, it is necessary to highlight some elements that are characteristic of it and have been recognized through studies over the years, so some of its characteristics are:
- It differs from other whales as its dorsal fin is not like that of its other similar species.
- This gray whale has some white spots on its skin, which allows people to identify them, although it is not that simple; however, most of the time they are covered by barnacles or some crustaceans attached to their body, this being a characteristic that attracts the attention of those who observe them. In addition to this, gray whales have scars that determine the approximate number of years they have lived.
- Another important aspect to highlight are the huge body parts of this whale, especially its head and mouth, its mouth is so huge that it can be seen as if its head had two parts. It has beards that reach 50 cm in length that allow it to have a better diet.
- As we said before, Eschrichtius robustus is the scientific name of this marine being, it is capable of measuring up to 15 meters long and in case you wonder how much does a whale weigh, it can weigh a total of 20 tons, it is a lot of weight for an animal, right? but it is not a problem for her since, because she lives in the water, she moves easily, navigating the waters of any part of the earth as well as the Humpback Whale.
Where does a gray whale live?
Surely you have ever asked yourself this question, where does the gray whale live, this is a question that can be easily answered, a gray whale generally inhabits the waters of the Pacific Ocean. However, there are two groups of gray whales that live in different parts of the world, we have that the main group makes its life in the waters of the eastern Pacific, within this group there are more than 18.000 whales.
On the other hand, there is the western group, this one is not so lucky since, due to the area in which it is found, it is in danger of extinction. In that habitat there are no more than 150 specimens of gray whales, this area is under a protection regime to avoid its extinction completely. Specifically these gray whales reside in different parts of the South Korean waters and also the Ojostk Sea.
In case you did not know, the gray whales of the Atlantic Ocean became extinct by the XNUMXth century, so you have to take into account that many years have passed since they became extinct. However, there have been several sightings of gray whales in areas surrounding these territories, although they are very occasional.
feeding of gray whales
These giants of the ocean must be fed but the question is what do whales eat?; Whales in general by nature tend to feed on krill; they are small crustaceans that can be seen at the bottom of the sea, of course the whales need a peculiar way to collect them with their huge mouth, they raise the mud and drag the krill to their throat, followed by this they use their beard which are basically a type of short, bristly sheets that have a yellowish color that are in the form of a flap on the upper jaw.
These beards are perfectly located in the same area where a mammal in general would have its teeth, these beards act as a strainer to ingest the krill. Once the whale is satisfied, it goes to the surface to get some air and expel all the mud and debris that it no longer needs.
Gray Whales Reproduction
The sexual maturity of a gray whale may not be reached until they are 8 or 9 years old, it is a long time without a doubt, but when they are ready to reproduce they do not do it anywhere, they begin to migrate to other places in the world. ocean such as areas near Baja California, the San Ignacio lagoon or north of Mexican waters, of course if they wish at the time of migration they can begin to mate.
Because of how huge their calves can even be, gray whales can only have one calf every 2 years. From the moment a female gray whale is fertilized, she has a gestation period of around 13 months, practically 1 year gestating! lasts 12 to 13 months. After this period, the whales are usually located in the area of Baja California where they will later give birth to their calves.
This calf, from the first moment that it has left its mother's placenta into the ocean, will be able to start swimming with its mother, tricking it into a long journey back home. The estuaries must necessarily keep up with her mother, since they require her milk for a period of approximately 6 months, sometimes even spending up to 8 months lactating.
The instinct to stay with the mother lasts at least 2 years for the young, in this way they feel protected and learn hunting methods that they will have to use when they grow up; when they reach an age where they have matured, it will be time to get rid of the mother and start living on their own. After this, the mother whales repeat the reproductive cycle.
Male whales generally have only one function in reproduction, and that is to fertilize females, since various scientific studies have shown that they have the ability to fertilize several females in a reproductive season. After the male has done his job, he disappears from the life of the female whale.
The Gray Whale and Humans
It is clear that human beings in a certain proportion have no feeling for the life of animal species, and when it comes to whales they are no exception, motivated by the fact that they are very slow to move and constantly approach the coasts, this has caused that many people hunt them and they disappear from the cetacean population.
However, various countries, taking into consideration the imminent danger that whales in general could become extinct, have taken various measures to protect them, such as the prohibition to hunt them, this has been quite favorable for them, since it has given them time to be able to breed. At an economic level, these whales are no longer in great demand on the black market, but their value has increased to be used as means of tourism, generating a lot of money annually.
That is why it can be said that motivated by tourism and international laws, the whales have had a respite in their population, from the month of November to April or May, it can be seen on the coasts of various regions of Baja California towards Oregon and Washington some lagoons that are known to be the place of stay for mother whales to give birth.
Curiosities of the Gray Whale
You can not miss the most important curiosities that gray whales have and that you surely did not know, now, taking into account all the above, these characteristic elements of the same that remain in them throughout their long life emerge, Therefore, we have the following curious data:
- This type of cetacean is known to be primitive, at least 30% of the calves that mothers give birth lose their lives when they go back home with her. However, when they manage to survive, they have a long life ahead of them, which can be close to 45 or 60 years.
- A rather curious aspect of these whales is that they come to the surface momentarily to see what is in their environment, this happens when they are near a coast or there is a ship near it.
- Unlike shark characteristics, these whales are usually very curious and friendly with those of their kind, they can keep an elderly friendly whale company to approach the coast where they will finally die.
- Regarding the length of these whales, the males can reach up to 15 meters and weigh approximately 16 tons, while the female whale can measure about 16 meters and weigh twice as much as a male.
- During the mating season, they make enormous journeys in the sea close to 10 and 12 km away from the point of origin, the mating season begins in autumn, and they swim to the coasts of lower California.
- When the month of December arrives, the sightings of gray whales begin, this extends until the month of March and means that the gray whale heads to the Mexican coast.
- Its huge tongue can weigh up to half a ton.
- In order to protect themselves from the frozen ocean they have 30 centimeters of fat between muscle and skin.
- Their gestation period to have a calf can last up to 1 year.