gray whale

American  

[grey hweyl, weyl] / ˈgreɪ ˈʰweɪl, ˈweɪl /

noun

1. a grayish-black baleen whale, Eschrichtius robustus, of the North Pacific, growing to a length of 50 feet (15.2 meters): an endangered species.

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Etymology

Origin of gray whale

First recorded in 1830–35

Example Sentences

Over the past decade, gray whale numbers have plunged by about half from 26,000, McCauley said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

That trouble becomes imminent for humans, too, when a 30-40 tonne gray whale begins floating in the bay, as happened earlier this year.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

San Francisco Bay was not historically part of the gray whale migration route.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

Their prey included larger species such as California sea lions, northern elephant seals, gray whale calves and Pacific white-sided dolphins, and they typically hunted in groups averaging nine individuals.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2025

When Mom was fourteen years old, the Makah Nation hunted a gray whale.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day