Gray Whale

On 29 January 2022, Erika and I strolled at Ocean Shores, about 90 minutes west of Olympia. This attempt at a beach walk was our second, the first scuttled two weeks ago by tsunami warnings. This Saturday was perfect, with light overcast and gentle winds. As we arrived at the beach, we spied cars and people. We almost turned and headed the opposite direction. The hubbub turned out to be over a dead Gray Whale, which was in fairly rough condition. Erika paced the length, and counted about 47 feet. In western North America, these whales feed in the summer in the arctic and breed off Baja California. Some are found all year in waters off northern Washington.

Gray Whales feed using baleen, a series of fringed plates that hang from their upper jaws. Usually the whale dives to the sea bed, rolls, and sucks sediments and water into its mouth. As it closes its mouth, water and sediments are spelled through the baleen, trapping various crustaceans and other small marine animals.