Feeding
Unlike most baleen whales, the gray whale must get its food
from the sediment on the ocean floor. The amphipods the whales
eat can be found there.
FAVORITE FOOD of the GRAY WHALE
This is an amphipod. Amphipods are tiny shrimp like animals
that live in sediment on the ocean floor.
The whale's mouth will fill up with sediment. The amphipods
living in the sediment will also enter the mouth. The whale
will stay down for 3 to 5 minutes to eat. A trail of dents in
the ocean floor is left behind where the whale hit the ground.
The whale has no teeth to chew its food, so must swallow
it whole. Instead of teeth, the whale has baleen. The baleen
is made up of long fibers much like a broom. The baleen acts
as a filter. When the whales mouth is full, it closes forcing
the water out. The small animals the whale eats get caught
in the baleen. When all the unwanted material has left the
mouth, the whale swallows.
The whale must surface to breath. It can only stay underwater
for 15 minutes before running out of air. When it reaches
the surface it will blow out a breath, 
creating a spout.
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