So I'm pretty sure the bulk of them are gone by now. But they were cruising. They weren't dilly-dallying. They were all moving by. They were out to the horizon, blows as far as you could see.
Gray whales range as far north as the Arctic Ocean above Alaska.
They risk becoming trapped in sea ice if they wait too long before leaving. In 1985, several gray whales became trapped in ice off the coast of Barrow, Alaska. An international effort involving hundreds of people and a Soviet icebreaker was eventually able to free the whales. For Arctic Science Journeys, this is Doug Schneider, reporting from Fairbanks, Alaska. Arctic Science Journeys is a radio service highlighting science, culture, and the environment of the circumpolar north.