This neonate male gray whale calf was encountered near Big Sur, California during the southward migration. A closeup of gray whale baleen.
Gray whales eat invertebrates found on and in the ocean floor.
After gulping mouthfuls of mud and sand, gray whales push the water, sand and mud out of their mouths with their enormous tongues, using their baleen as a filter to retain the invertebrates. All text and photographs copyright Phillip Colla . All rights reserved worldwide. Whale logo is a trademark of Phillip Colla Photography, is based directly on a photograph by Phillip Colla.