Gray whales are found only in the Pacific Ocean, with the population being documented at approximately 23,000. The main population summers north of Alaska in the Bering and Chukchi Seas and winters in the waters of Baja California. Another population in the Pacific, found in the waters of Korea and Japan, is close to extinction with less than 50 individuals. A population of gray whales once lived in the North Atlantic Ocean and became extinct in the 17th century, due to hunting. Gray whales generally stay around the continental shelf and are truly a coastal species.
Gray whales have one of the longest migrations of any mammal.
During summer, they live in the Arctic in areas rich in their food, bottom-dwelling organisms. As fall approaches, there is less sunlight, less food, and the water turns cold. This is when the whales travel to Baja California, where they enter lagoons to give birth and mate. Gray whales can be seen passing by California in December and January during their southern migration, and again in March and April on their northern journey. Gray whales feed differently from other whales.