The Gray whale It is a marine mammal that belongs to the cetacean family, like dolphins and porpoises. Between the main features of the gray whale it can be noted that it measures between 12 and 16 meters long and can weigh 20 to 35 tons.
Another special feature is that the gray whale belongs to the Mysticetes group (toothless whales), so they use their baleen to filter food.
Have you seen that the gray whale constantly comes to the surface? This is because, like all mammalbreathe through lungs.
Normally, they give themselves 15 seconds of breathing time, and with those breaths of oxygen they can dive and last underwater for between three and seven minutes. They are known to remain submerged for up to 25 minutes.
At birth, the little gray whale (baby whale), is a very dark color, very close to black. Due to the large number of parasites that adhere to its skin as it grows, its appearance changes to the characteristic gray that they are known for.
A thick layer of blubber covers the entire body of the gray whale. This allows the cetacean to maintain a constant body temperature, even in very cold water.
Gray whale females wait two years to carry out the mating process, as their gestation period lasts for 13 long months.
Once born, the little calf requires a nursing period of 11 months, during which it is not separated from the mother. Calves consume an impressive 190 liters of milk a day, on average.
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To produce that much milk, a gray whale can eat about 2,600 pounds of food in a day. Gray whales feed on a variety of small crustaceans – including crab larvae and mysid shrimp.
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