Gray whales primarily feed on small crustaceans called amphipods that live on the ocean floor. These amphipods are tiny, about the size of a grain of rice, and they make up the bulk of the gray whale's diet.
They also eat:
* Other small invertebrates: This can include small shrimp, worms, and other crustaceans.
* Fish: While not as common, gray whales may occasionally eat small fish that they find on the seafloor.
To feed, gray whales use their baleen plates to filter out the water and capture the small invertebrates. They do this by sucking in large amounts of sediment and water, then forcing the water out through their baleen plates, leaving the food behind.
Interestingly, gray whales migrate long distances to find their food. They spend the summer months feeding in the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Arctic and subarctic, and then migrate south to warmer waters for breeding in the winter.