Blues are bigger; fin whales, faster; humpbacks, more acrobatic. But the nobly named Eschrichtius robustus (aka Eastern Pacific Gray)— splotched, blunt-headed, stout and muscular–is nothing less than amazing. World Whale Day, celebrated the third Sunday of February, is an ideal time to celebrate their awesomeness.
Some 42 to 55 feet long and weighing 30 to 40 tons, Grays migrate ten-to-twelve thousand miles every year–farther than any other mammal. Their marathon begins in the Arctic seas, where the Grays spend the summer feeding in cold, nutrient-rich waters. In the late autumn, at a stately pace of three to five miles an hour, they swim south to the warm lagoons and estuaries of Baja. Here females give birth to thousand-pound calves and nurse them with ultra-rich, 50-percent-fat milk. From February through May, the very hungry Grays journey back to their northern feeding grounds.
Unlike other baleen whales, which graze in open water, Grays dive to the sea floor, turn on one side, plow along the bottom and gulp water and sediment into their massive mouths. Strips of tough baleen in their upper jaw filter out tiny crustaceans, larvae and worms. From summer into fall, the Grays feed continuously, storing calories as blubber to sustain them during the lean winter months. As they churn the ocean bottom, they release nutrients for their underwater neighbors.
Grays also serve as floating habitats, providing shelter and sustenance to hitchhiking barnacles and lice. Gray whale barnacles, anchored by a cement-like substance, extend feathery tentacles to snag morsels of food. Several species of whale lice (different from those that infest land animals) cluster around barnacle patches and wounds. Clinging tightly to their hosts with clawed legs, they scavenge for dead skin and other debris.
The squatters get the enormous benefit of a free ride through an underwater buffet. And the whales? The barnacles offer some protective camouflage; the lice help clean wounds. But excessive growth of either, often seen on stressed or injured whales, may indicate or contribute to poor health.
Over time humans have proved a far greater threat. Large-scale commercial hunting of Grays began in the mid-1800s and intensified with the development of explosive harpoons and steam-powered ships. Their oil, extracted from blubber, was used for lamps, lubricants and soap; their baleen, for corsets and buggy whips. Several times Gray whales were pushed to near extinction. Mexico began safeguarding the breeding lagoons in the 1930s; the International Whaling Commission banned hunting in 1947. With the Marine Mammal Protection and the Endangered Species Acts in the 1970s, the Grays’ population bounced back to more than 20,000.
In recent years, “Unusual Mortality Events” (UMEs) have claimed so many Grays that their numbers have plummeted to fewer than 16,000 whales. The probable causes include ship strikes, lack of food as a result of climate change, entanglement in fishing gear and noise pollution, which can disrupt their communication and navigation. Scientists and citizens are rallying to protect these gentle giants. You can learn more on how to help from organizations such as the American Cetacean Society, Marine Mammal Center and Save the Whales.
Every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. through May (weather permitting), volunteers with the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods offer interpretation of the Grays’ migration at Bodega Head. From this iconic perch, I’ve watched the majestic wanderers thrust their mighty heads above the waves and dive below with a sassy flip of their flukes. But nothing delights me more than the sight of their distinctive heart-shaped spouts. On World Whale Day or any other, I wish we could signal back: We “heart” you too!
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BEACH LOVERS!
