Gray whales, in spite of their name, may be black or dark gray. Their skin is dotted with white blotches, some of which are barnacles. Gray whales have a series of low humps on the lower back and can measure up to 50 feet long. They eat small animals that live on the sandy ocean bottom and also feed on plankton and other small fish.
Gray whales live in the North Pacific Ocean during summer months. They like the freezing waters in the far north. Many gray whales live in the Beaufort Sea, north of Canada and Alaska. During the winter, some gray whales migrate down the west coast of the United States to Baja California.
The migration of the California gray whale along the Pacific Coast is called the "Moby Dick Parade." Thousands of people gather on the headlands to watch the whales. The California coast is the only place in the world where so many whales can be seen so close to land.
Baby gray whales are born in the winter. At that time most gray whales are living in the bays off Baja California. The mother swims to shallow water close to land. There, the calf is born in the warm and sheltered water. Many people travel to Baja to see the gray whales with their calves.
Gray whales are beautiful to watch. They love to play in the water and their graceful movements are awe inspiring sights. They are one of coastal California's most admired natural attractions.
