ENDANGERED SPECIES
GREY WHALES
Unique among whales for their dorsal humps (instead of fins), these 50foot whales are also notable for their moans, growls, knocks and other distinctive vocalizations. While gray whales near Baja California are thought to be friendly, the species is known worldwide for the fierceness with which mothers defend their calves. Why gray whales are in trouble: Centuries of overfishing have left one population extinct (North Atlantic) and one critically endangered (Western North Pacific). The good news is that fishing restrictions have allowed the third population, in the Eastern North Pacific, to rebound to the point that it was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1994.
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