Facts about Gray Whale Migration
- 09
Mothers and calves migrate together to Arctic feeding grounds in spring, with calves swimming alongside adults for their first 12,000-mile journey at just two to three months old.
- 08
Some gray whales remain year-round in feeding areas along the Canadian coast rather than completing the full migration to Baja California, representing a distinct non-migratory population segment.
- 07
Researchers identified that gray whales traveling southbound follow magnetic field lines in the Pacific Ocean, with magnetic sensitivity concentrated in their nasal cavities during migration.
- 06
Gray whales migrating northbound in spring travel faster than their southbound journey, covering the 6,000-mile route to Arctic feeding grounds in roughly two to three months.
- 05
Gray whales undertake their migration at speeds of three to five miles per hour, traveling nearly 200 miles daily during their southbound journey to breeding grounds.
- 04
A gray whale's round-trip migration of 12,000 miles takes approximately five to six months, making it one of the longest migrations of any mammal on Earth.
- 03
During their 12,000-mile annual migration, gray whales navigate using geomagnetic cues and coastal landmarks without feeding for up to four months while traveling southbound.
- 02
Newborn gray whale calves gain approximately 50 pounds daily during their mother's eight-week nursing period in Baja California lagoons.
- 01
The eastern Pacific gray whale population travels approximately 12,000 miles annually between Arctic feeding grounds and Baja California breeding lagoons.