The grey whale (scientific name: Eschrichtius robustus), belonging to the family Cetacea, is larger than the baleen whale species, but smaller than the right whale; its adult length is 10 to 15 meters (female whales) slightly larger than male whales), with a maximum weight of over 35 tons. The body is spindle-shaped, with a stout trunk, thickest near the flippers and tapering toward the tail.

Morphological characteristics

The gray whale is between 10-15 meters long and weighs 30 many tons. The body is grey, dark grey or bluish grey with white spots, hence the name, and it is also called the grey rocky shore swimmer, with a lighter ventral colour. The skin on the back of the body is uneven, mainly scaly skin formed by scratches from rocks or sand and scars left by parasitic animals such as barnacles. Its eyes are oval, located behind the corner of the mouth, higher than the eyes of other baleen whales, and the upper eyelid is slightly longer. The ear holes are large enough for a pencil to be inserted, and are located between the eyes and the base of the flippers. Baleen is pale yellow, about 140-180 per side, and 40-50 cm long. The whisker is thicker, the hairs are rough, and the whole whisker gives a heavy feeling. It also has more hair on its head than other baleen whales, and the arrangement is not regular. The tongue is narrow and thick, the front part is gray, and the rest is pink. There are 4 fingers on the flippers, the first finger is missing.

Its body is thick and fat, especially near the flippers, and then tapers to the tail. The head is small compared to the body length. Although there is no dorsal fin, the dorsal ridge is exposed, and 8-15 small hump-shaped bulges can be seen on the back of the tail. The flippers are broad and thick, the front edge is uneven, and the caudal fin is medium in size. There are 2-4 longitudinal grooves in the chest and abdomen, the length of the grooves is up to 1.5 meters before and after, but there is no pleated groove. Some people think that the function of the fold groove is to help the thoracic cavity expand or shrink when the animal breathes, and it can increase the capacity of the mouth when feeding, and the gray whale is the most primitive type of shallow water among the existing baleen whales, so the fold groove is not as good as others. Baleen whales are so developed. There are two fumaroles, which are located behind the highest point of the snout. The distance between the front ends of the two holes is relatively close, about 7 cm, and the distance at the rear end is slightly farther, about 21 cm, and is slightly V-shaped. The length of the front and rear is about 20 cm. The mist columns it sprayed were short and thick, with a flat top and close to each other, so when viewed from the back, they were two columns of mist that were close to each other, and from the side it looked like there was only one column of mist.

Population Dynamics

Genetic studies and differential recovery models show that the Pacific Northwest subpopulation of gray whales is independent of the Eastern Pacific subpopulation, which is classified as extremely endangered species.

Grey whales, both in the eastern and western Pacific, have been recorded hunted by megalodon sharks in prehistoric times. In the early 20th century, the number of native coastal whaling dropped to a low level, and the consumption of fish resources caused by the rise of commercial whaling seriously weakened the traditional fishing and hunting economy. In the mid-19th century, commercial whaling activities in the Lake Breeding Area led to a sharp decline in the eastern Pacific gray whales. From 1855 to 1865, the ten-year peak whaling period, the annual catch was about 480. Surveys from 1967 to 1996 show that despite continued fishing, the number of gray whales in the Eastern Pacific is recovering at an annual rate of 2.5%, reaching a peak of 24,000-36,000 in 1997-1998, and dropping to 2001-2002. 15,000-22,000 head. There are many reasons for the decline of the population, most likely related to food acquisition and environmental carrying capacity. The number of gray whales in the western Pacific has remained at the previous level, about 100 to 300.

China: In 1961 and 1962, one gray whale beached on the beach of Jinjiang, Fujian.

From 1949 to 1979, there were records of stranding or discovery in Liaoning Province, Shandong Province, Guangdong Leizhou Peninsula and Huiyang Daya Bay, and Hainan Province.

On November 5, 2011, a stranded gray whale was found in Pingtan, Fujian.

Global: Small-scale hunting in Korean waters in 1966 did not allow this population to recover, and it was estimated to be less than 100 in 2001; the Northeast Pacific population was also severely hunted between 1854 and 1865, and since 1937 It has gradually recovered after the protection began in 1997; according to the statistics of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), there were about 21,000 in 1987-1988; according to the survey in 1997-1998, it is estimated that the existing population is about 26,600.

In the early 20th century, there were only a few hundred animals left in the American population. Hunting was banned by an international agreement in 1947, and it recovered to 30,000 in 2004; the Asian population has recovered very slowly, and the current number is about 200. head. The population trend is stable.