Their trek back up north isn't as fast as on the way down because their isn't the need for the females to give birth. Some of the whales end up staying off the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The largest group of summer residents are usually found off Vancouver Island, where 30-50 grays stop to spend the summer. Many of them have been given names which relate to their appearance. For example, Two Dot Star has two white patches on his back, and Prop has scars form a boat propeller.
Senses Hearing Hearing is the most important sense for whales.
In water, sound travels four times as fast as in does in air and it also travels further. Some of the sounds whales make can be heard above water. Fishermen used to think that their moans and whistles were sea monsters or mermaids. They vocalize using clicks, groans, grunts, squeaks, rasps, and roars. These sounds are produced by squeezing air through the blowhole, or by bursts of air from the lungs.