Critter Guide :: Mammals :: Gray Whale Gray whales can grow to be 46 feet long and weigh 35 tons on average. Gray whales have several throat grooves that allow their throats to expand during the huge intake of water that occurs while feeding. Where do they live? Gray whales live in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans. What do they eat? Gray whales eat tiny bottom-dwelling animals like mollusks and small fish, as well as kelp. They are baleen whales, which means that they do not have teeth. Social Environment While migrating in groups each spring and fall, gray whales swim steadily, surfacing every 3 to 4 minutes. During their migrations, pregnant females lead the way. Critter Fact Although gray whales seem to have good eyesight underwater and on the surface, hearing is their most important sense. In water, sound travels four times as fast as it does through the air and it also travels further. Did You Know? Gray whales were nearly hunted to extinction for their flesh and oil. Whaling was halted in the U.S. in 1928. Soon after, their population rebounded and they were taken off the endangered species list. They now number around 20,000. Although it is still illegal to hunt gray whales, an American aboriginal tribe in Vancouver has been given permission to kill five whales per year. They kill the whales in accordance with their traditions. In Russia, aborigines are permitted to hunt 165 gray whales per year.

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