Eschrichtiidae - gray whale
 There is one species of baleen whale in this family, the gray whale. The gray whale is found in northern Pacific waters. It is 45-50 feet in length and weigh 30-40 tons. It is gray and has 2-5 throat furrows. It has a long, narrow head; a slightly arched upper jaw; and a small dorsal hump on its back. The furrow allows the gray whale to expand its throat when it is taking in water. The gray whale is usually covered with barnacles and whale lice, except for on its right side. It doesn't have barnacles and lice on its right side because it scrapes along the ocean floor on its right side when it is feeding and they are scraped off! The gray whale is a filter feeders, and it takes in large amounts of waters and filters out small crustaceans, plankton, mollusks, and small fish through its baleen. It feeds in cold Arctic waters in the summer months. In the fall, the gray whale migrates from the Arctic to its breeding grounds off the coast of Baja, Mexico and off the Korean coast. It is a round trip migration of 10,000-14,000 miles! Gray whales live in pods of 3-12 individuals.
 Endangered in N.H.
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 Threatened in N.H.
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 Introduced
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 Endangered in U.S.
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 Threatened in U.S.
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| New Hampshire Species |
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Other North American Species |
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Gray Whale
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