How do gray whales spend their winters?

How do gray whales spend their winters?

Each winter, the Pacific gray whales pass by the western overlooks of Cabrillo National Monument. After spending the summer feeding in the food-rich waters of the Arctic, the whales swim south along the coast to the bays of Baja California, where they mate and nurse their young.

What does the GREY whale eat?

When eating plankton, whales can be seen skim-feeding with their upper jaws above the surface of the ocean. Gray whales eat very little while on migration. Still, they may find and eat schooling squid, krill, crab larvae, herring eggs, ghost shrimp, and small bait fish such as capelin.

How long does a GREY whale live?

After 8 years the young gray whales will reach sexually maturity and can begin mating and reproducing. In terms of lifespan a healthy gray whale is estimated to an average lifespan of 50 – 70 years.

Why do gray whales swim to warmer waters in winter?

Because they migrate to warm water nursery lagoons in the winter, and then to cold water Arctic feeding grounds in the summer, they are able to tolerate wide ranges in both water and air temperature. Fat is lighter than water; this helps the gray whale float (gives it positive buoyancy).

Which is bigger humpback or sperm whale?

Sperm whales are characterized by their large heads and long bodies that grow up between 50-55 feet long on average. This is equivalent to about 1.5 school buses in length. Sperm whales are the fourth largest whale species, weighing in around 80,000 lbs. The humpback can grow up to 52 feet and weigh nearly 60,000 lbs.

What is the fifth biggest whale in the world?

10 Largest Whale Species on the Planet

• Minke Whale (up to 35 feet or 10.5 meters)
• Bryde’s Whale (46 feet / 14 meters)
• Gray Whale (49 feet/ 15 meters)
• Sei Whale (52 feet / 16 meters)
• Humpback Whale (52 feet / 16 meters)
• Bowhead Whale (59 feet / 18 meters)
• Right Whale (60 feet / 18.3 meters)

Which is biggest whale in the world?

Antarctic blue whale

What is bigger than a whale?

While there might never be a larger animal than the blue whale, there are other kinds of organism that dwarf it. The largest of them all, dubbed the “humongous fungus”, is a honey mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae).