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Gray Whale
Eschrichtius robustus
The coastal dwelling gray whale
is the most often encountered whale on the Pacific Coast of
North America and the object of a flourishing whale-watching
industry. Gray whales are distinctive from other whales by the
combination of medium size (for a whale: 10-15m), mottled gray
skin pigmentation, absence of a dorsal fin, and propensity to
come very close to shore. The eastern Pacific population,
sometimes referred to as the California stock, calves off the
coast of Baja California and most individuals spend the summer
feeding in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. Small numbers spend the
summer feeding off southeast Alaska, British Columbia,
Washington, Oregon and California. The eastern Pacific
population is thought to be about 20,000 individuals, down
somewhat from estimates of few years ago of up to 26.000. Some
scientists suggest the population has reached its capacity,
noting that large numbers of strandings in recent years may have
been the result of starvation. The
average of 41 stranded gray whales reported between 1995 and
1998, was followed by a large increase to 283 strandings in 1999
and 368 in 2000. However, the number of strandings fell to 21 in
2001 and 26 in 2002. Researchers concluded that no clear
explanation could be derived for the stranded whales but that a
common, wide ranging factor was likely involved and that
starvation was most likely (Gulland et al 2005).
For more on the Gray Whale visit the
Pacific WildLife Foundation |
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Keywords:
gray whale,whales, marinemammals, marine
mammals, seals, islands, Canada, BC, British Columbia,
Boundary Bay, animals,
Eschrichtius robustus,
wildlife, shore, |
Click to view
Larger Image
Keywords:
gray whale,whales, marinemammals, marine
mammals, seals, islands, Canada, BC, British Columbia,
Boundary Bay, animals,
Eschrichtius robustus,
wildlife, shore, Alex Fraser Bridge,Vancouver |
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