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October

Fall Migration

The whales have been feasting in the Arctic seas since about June, building layers of thick blubber to fuel their journey south. Days grow shorter and northern waters begin to freeze. The food supply dwindles. Gray whales know what to do: They head for their winter home in Mexico's warm waters, thousands of miles to the south. Last winter’s new baby whales have become juveniles now. They are ready to make their first migration independent of their mothers.

Facts and Photos

 

Aerial view of gray whale in the Arctic
Kate Wynne, Ph.D.
Gray Whale Migration Map