From the California State Library: The Gray Whale
"Measuring 35 to 50 feet in length and around 20 to 40
tons in weight, the California gray whale (Eschrichtius
robustus) is identified by its mottled gray color and low
hump in place of a dorsal fin. Gray whale feed mainly on
small crustaceans along the ocean bottom in the western
Bering Sea where they spend the summer.
From December through February, the whales can be seen
traveling southward in small groups along the California
coast on their way to the bays and lagoons of Baja
California where mating occurs and the females calve.
In March and April, they once again travel north following
the shoreline. The whales cover approximately 6,000 to
7,000 miles each way. It is believed that memory and
vision aid them on their long migration. The California
gray whale was designated the State Marine Mammal in 1975.".
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