Baleen whale that is the sole living member of Eschrichtius
Gray whale[1]
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene–Recent[2]
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
↓
Gray whale spy-hopping next to calf
Size compared to an average human
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[3]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[4]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Artiodactyla
Infraorder:
Cetacea
Family:
Eschrichtiidae
Genus:
Eschrichtius
Species:
E. robustus
Binomial name
Eschrichtius robustus
Lilljeborg, 1861
Gray whale range
Synonyms
Balaena gibbosa Erxleben, 1777
Agaphelus glaucus Cope, 1868
Rhachianectes glaucus Cope, 1869
Eschrichtius gibbosus Van Deinse & Junge, 1937
E. glaucus Maher, 1961
The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus),[1] also known as the grey whale,[5] is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of 14.9 meters (49 ft), a weight of up to 41 tonnes (90,000 lb) and lives between 55 and 70 years, although one female was estimated to be 75–80 years of age.[6][7] The common name of the whale comes from the gray patches and white mottling on its dark skin.[8] Gray whales were once called devil fish because of their fighting behavior when hunted.[9] The gray whale is the sole living species in the genus Eschrichtius. It is the sole living genus in the family Eschrichtiidae, however some recent studies classify it as a member of the family Balaenopteridae. This mammal is descended from filter-feeding whales that appeared during the Neogene.
The gray whale is distributed in a Northeast Pacific (North American), and an endangered Northwest Pacific (Asian), population. North Atlantic populations were extirpated (perhaps by whaling) on the European coast before 500 CE, and on the American and African Atlantic coasts around the late 17th to early 18th centuries.[10] However, in the 2010s and 2020s there have been rare sightings of gray whales in the North Atlantic,[11][12] Mediterranean,[13] and even off South Atlantic coasts.[citation needed]
^ abMead, J. G.; Brownell, R. L. Jr. (2005). "Order Cetacea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 723–743. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^Boessenecker, Robert (2007). "New records of fossil fur seals and walruses (Carnivora: Pinnipedia) from the late Neogene of Northern California". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27: 50A.
^Cooke, J.G. (2018). "Eschrichtius robustus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T8097A50353881. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T8097A50353881.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^Recovery Strategy for the Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus), Atlantic Population, in Canada. Dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca (2012-07-31). Retrieved on 2012-12-20.
^Gray Whale Eschrichtius robustus. American Cetacean Society
^Gray Whale. Worldwildlife.org. Retrieved on 2012-12-20.
^Perrin, William F.; Würsig, Bernd G.; Thewissen, J. G. M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Academic Press. p. 404. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9.
^Whittle, Patrick (2024-03-05). "What is a whale native to the North Pacific doing off New England? Climate change could be the key". AP News. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
^McCloud, Cheryl (2023-12-21). "Gray whale spotted off Florida coast. Here's why the sighting is so unusual". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
^Minguez, Alexandre (2021-05-07). "Lost in the Mediterranean, a starving grey whale must find his way home soon". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
The graywhale (Eschrichtius robustus), also known as the grey whale, is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It...
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than gray or humpback whales and also being very stout, particularly when compared to the other large baleen whales such as blue and fin whales. For 10...
blue whales have an even lower genetic diversity. Whole genome sequencing suggests that blue whales are most closely related to sei whales with gray whales...
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the pygmy right whale may have more in common with the graywhale and rorquals than the bowhead and right whales. The pygmy right whale is found in temperate...
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sei and blue whales are closely related, with graywhales as a sister group. This study also found significant gene flow between minke whales and the ancestors...
are the graywhale, Bryde's whale, Eden's whale, and Rice's whale (which are usually found close to shore all year round) and the humpback whale (which...
minke whale (/ˈmɪnki/), or lesser rorqual, is a species complex of baleen whale. The two species of minke whale are the common (or northern) minke whale and...
skin derivative. Some whales, such as the bowhead whale, have longer baleen than others. Other whales, such as the graywhale, only use one side of their...
by the anthropogenically extinct Atlantic graywhale, a relative of the benthically feeding Pacific graywhale. Despite being each other's closest living...
of 77,000–81,000 kg (170,000–179,000 lb). The fin whale's body is long, slender and brownish-gray in color, with a paler underside to appear less conspicuous...
Munesato Yamada in 1954. The pygmy killer whale is dark gray to black on the cape and has a sharp change to lighter gray on the sides. The flesh around their...
The submersible recovered a jawbone and phalanges. The whale was considered to be a graywhale based on the size of the bones and the skeleton, the lack...
arching rostrums, V-shaped blowholes and dark gray or black skin. The most distinguishing feature of a right whale is the rough patches of skin on its head...
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several cases of exploding whale carcasses due to a buildup of gas in the decomposition process. This would occur if a whale stranded itself ashore. Actual...
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and right whales were different, and John Edward Gray proposed the genus Eubalaena for the right whale in 1864. Later, morphological factors such as differences...
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