According to the Oceanic Society, gray whales annually “undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling 12,000 miles round-trip from their feeding grounds in the Arctic to calve and breed in the Baja lagoons, and then back again.”
For context, the Gills have migrated just over three thousand miles (one-way) from Cape Cod to Southern California to chase a bit of warmer weather and sunshine. And we didn’t have to swim. While visiting Newport Beach, we were fortunate to observe some of the estimated 26, 000 gray whales migrating south along the North American coast.
Their distinctive ridged backs slice the surface of the shallow coastal waters and are sometimes spotted easily from shore. Adults can be 40-50 feet long and their double blowholes create a heart-shaped double-plumed vapor trail of expelled air. We learned that 90% of gray whales use their right side to scour the ocean floor to stir up food. Sarah finds it a striking coincidence that similarly, only 10% of humans are left-handed!
GEO-QUIZ: How many gray whales are estimated to be left in the western Pacific population?
Where in the world are the Gills? 