Mouthful of Baleen
This baby's mouth is open so you can see the baleen hanging like a curtain from the upper jaws. Baleen takes the place of teeth in whale species with two blowholes. Gray whales are filter feeders. They dive to the bottom, roll on their side and suck in a mouthful of mud and water from the seabed. Next, they push the muddy water out using their giant tongue. Tiny organisms that live on the seabed stay in the baleen as water and silt get filtered out. Gray whales feed in shallow waters, usually 150-400 feet deep. Adults can consume 1-1½ tons of food per day during peak feeding periods on their cold arctic feeding grounds.

Courtesy of Renee Bonner