What is a "gray whale"?

The gray whale, also known as the California gray whale, is a species of baleen whale that migrates along the Pacific coastline of North America. They are known for their distinctive appearance, with a dark gray body covered in patches of white, and a streamlined shape with no dorsal fin. Gray whales are one of the longest migratory mammals, traveling up to 12,000 miles round trip each year between their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic and their winter breeding grounds in the warm waters of Baja California, Mexico. They are known for their unique feeding behavior, which involves scooping up sediment from the ocean floor and filtering out small organisms using their baleen plates. Gray whales are also known for their friendly and curious nature, often approaching boats and interacting with humans. They are an important species for ecotourism in many coastal communities.