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Gray Whale

Eschrichtius robustus

Mammal · family Balaenopteridae · order Cetacea

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G4: apparently secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Gray Whale
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Endangered (some populations)[1]
NatureServe global rank
G4 Apparently Secure[2]
Native in
4 states[3]
Longest recorded life
77 years[4]

The gray whale is a large sea mammal that belongs to the whale group called Cetacea[5]. In the United States it is native to Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington, and the Western North Pacific population is listed as Endangered[3][1].

Conservation status

NatureServe ranks the gray whale G4 worldwide, which means Apparently Secure[2]. Its national rank in the United States is N4, also Apparently Secure[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. Under the US Endangered Species Act, the Western North Pacific population is Endangered[1]. The Eastern North Pacific population was taken off the endangered list because it recovered[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Endangered, listed June 2, 1970 (Western North Pacific DPS See 50 CFR 224.101)
Endangered Species Act[8] Delisted after recovery
NatureServe global rank[2] G4 (Apparently Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N4 (Apparently Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
CITES (international trade)[9] Appendix I
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[10] 10,000 to 100,000 individuals

Where Gray Whale lives

NatureServe lists the gray whale as native in Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington[3]. It is ranked as extirpated or possibly extirpated in North Carolina, which means it is gone or may be gone from that state[11].

Alaska: native, state rank S4AKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: native, state rank S2NWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: native, state rank SNAORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: not recordedTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[12].
Show state ranks (5 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlaskaS4Apparently Secure
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
North CarolinaSXPresumed Extirpated
OregonSNANot Applicable
WashingtonS2NImperiled (nonbreeding)

Habitat

NatureServe records these habitat types for the gray whale: sheltered coastal water, lagoon, open sea and near shore[13]. The notes say the whales stay mostly in coastal water and in the shallower sea over the continental shelf[14]. The young are born in sheltered water[14].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[13]

Size, diet and lifespan

The gray whale is an invertivore, which means it eats animals without backbones[15]. One estimate puts its diet at 90% invertebrates and 10% fish[16]. Food includes small shrimp-like animals, mysids and ghost shrimp, and it feeds in a way other large whales do not[17]. Typical length is 1410 cm (555 in) and typical adult weight is 33000 kg (72753 lb)[18][19]. A female usually has 1 young after a gestation of 395 days[20][21]. The longest recorded lifespan is 77 years in the wild[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[18] 1410 cm (555 in)
Typical adult weight[19] 33000 kg (72753 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 77 years (wild)
Litter or clutch size[20] 1
Gestation or incubation[21] 395 days
Female maturity[22] 2,922 days (about 8.0 years)
Food habits[15] Invertivore
Active[23] crepuscular, diurnal
Migration[24] long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[16]

  • 90% invertebrates
  • 10% fish

When to look for it

The gray whale is a long-distance migrant, though populations can differ[24]. It is crepuscular and diurnal, which means active around dawn and dusk and also during the day[23]. On GBIF, most United States records fall in January, February and March[25]. These records show when people look and report, not how many whales there are[25].

January: 9,977 recordsJanFebruary: 6,241 recordsFebMarch: 5,080 recordsMarApril: 1,748 recordsAprMay: 998 recordsMayJune: 704 recordsJunJuly: 1,665 recordsJulAugust: 957 recordsAugSeptember: 850 recordsSepOctober: 426 recordsOctNovember: 170 recordsNovDecember: 1,074 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[25].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January9,977
February6,241
March5,080
April1,748
May998
June704
July1,665
August957
September850
October426
November170
December1,074

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, North Carolina[26]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the gray whale endangered?
The Western North Pacific population is listed as Endangered under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. The Eastern North Pacific population was removed from the list because it recovered[8]. NatureServe ranks the species G4, Apparently Secure[2].
Where do gray whales live in the United States?
NatureServe lists them as native in Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington[3]. They are seen mostly in coastal and shallow waters[14].
What do gray whales eat?
They are invertivores, eating mostly animals without backbones such as small shrimp-like animals[15][17]. One estimate gives 90% invertebrates and 10% fish[16].
How big is a gray whale?
Typical length is 1410 cm (555 in) and typical adult weight is 33000 kg (72753 lb)[18][19].
How long do gray whales live?
The longest recorded lifespan is 77 years in the wild[4]. This is a record, not a typical lifespan.

Facts and sources

  1. Under the US Endangered Species Act, Gray whale has the status Endangered, listed June 2, 1970 (USFWS ECOS). Listed entity: Western North Pacific DPS See 50 CFR 224.101. USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Gray Whale: G4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Gray Whale as native in 4 US states and territories: Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 77 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a mammal in the family Balaenopteridae, order Cetacea. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. USFWS ECOS lists Gray whale (Eastern North Pacific Ocean--coastal and Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi Seas) with the status Recovery, meaning it was removed from the endangered species list because it recovered. It was first listed June 16, 1994. USFWS ECOS
  9. CITES listing recorded by NatureServe: Appendix I (controls on international trade). NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 10,000 to 100,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe ranks Gray Whale as extirpated or possibly extirpated (SX or SH) in: North Carolina. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe state ranks for Gray Whale (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  13. Habitat types NatureServe records for Gray Whale: Bay/sound, Lagoon, Pelagic, Near shore. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on habitat for Gray Whale. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  16. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 90% invertebrates, 10% fish. EltonTraits 1.0
  17. NatureServe notes on food for Gray Whale. NatureServe Explorer
  18. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 1410 cm (555 in). NatureServe Explorer
  19. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 33000 kg (72753 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  20. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 1. AnAge
  21. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 395 days. AnAge
  22. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 2,922 days (about 8.0 years). AnAge
  23. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: crepuscular, diurnal. EltonTraits 1.0
  24. NatureServe migration category for Gray Whale: long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  25. GBIF observation records of Gray Whale in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  26. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Gray Whale: California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, North Carolina. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.