![]() ![]() GRAY WHALE SERIESAs a baleen whale, it has a series of 130-180 fringed overlapping plates hanging from each side of the upper jaw, where teeth might otherwise be located. They feed primarily during the summer months of long daylight hours in the cold Arctic waters of the Bering and Chukchi seas. Gray whales feed on small crustaceans such as amphipods, and tube worms found in bottom sediments. Length and WeightĪdult males measure 45-46 feet (13.7-14 m) and adult females measure slightly more. Its fluke is about 10-12 feet (3.7 m) across, pointed at the tips, and deeply notched in the center. Its flippers are paddle shaped and pointed at the tips. About 2/3 of the way back on its body is a prominent dorsal hump followed by a series of 6-12 knuckles along the dorsal ridge that extend to the flukes (tail lobes). Newborn calves are dark gray to black, although some may have distinctive white markings. GRAY WHALE SKINOn the skin are many scratches, scattered patches of white barnacles, and orange whale lice. The gray whale received its name from the gray patches and white mottling on its dark skin. There are 2-5 grooves on the ventral throat 5 feet (1.5 m) in length. The rostrum (upper jaw) is dimpled and each of the little depressions contains one stiff hair. The upper jaw is arched in profile, and slightly overlaps the lower jaw. Gray whales have a streamlined body, with a narrow, tapered head. Visitors to the calving and breeding lagoons sometimes encounter the phenomenon of the "friendlies" gray whales that closely approach small boats and allow themselves to be touched by humans. ![]() Frequently visible from shore, gray whales provide a unique opportunity for land and boat observation, and commercial whale watching has become a major industry along its migration route. It is a "coastal" whale that migrates along the North American Pacific Coast between arctic seas and the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. The inhabitants of San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay are helping us to celebrate the whales' survival." By showing us how these animals have helped shape the lifeways of the people with whom they share the lagoons, Saving the Gray Whale demonstrates that gray whales represent both a destructive past and a future with hope.The only member of the family Eschrichtiidae, the gray whale is a mysticete, or baleen whale. Americans and Europeans brought the gray whale population to the brink of extinction. "It is ironic," observes Dedina, "that residents of some of the most isolated fishing villages in North America are helping to redefine our relationship with wild animals. The author lived for two years with residents of Baja communities to understand their attitudes about wildlife conservation and Mexican politics, and he accompanied many in daily activities to show the extent to which the local economy depends on whalewatching. More than a study of conservation politics, Dedina's book puts a human face on wildlife conservation. It provides an inside look at how gray whale conservation decisions are made in Mexico City and examines how those policies and programs are carried out in the calving grounds of San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay, where catering to ecotourists is now an integral part of the local economy. This book uses the biology and politics associated with gray whales in Mexican waters to present an unusual case study in conservation and politics. After the harvesting of gray whales was banned by international law in 1946, their populations rebounded but while they are no longer hunted for their oil, these creatures are now chased up and down the lagoons of southern Baja California by whalewatchers. Once hunted by whalers and now the darling of ecotourists, the gray whale has become part of the culture, history, politics, and geography of Mexico's most isolated region. ![]()
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