Avery, W. and C. Hawkinson 1992. Gray whale feeding in a Northern California Estuary. Northwest Science 66(3):199-203.

ABSTRACT

During the summer of 1989 a gray whale, Eschrictius robustus, was discovered feeding in the Klamath River estuary of northern California. Prey items were determined using SCUBA and hand-held core samplers. The tube-dwelling amphipod Corophium spinicorne was found in dense aggregations. The whale appeared to concentrate its feeding where amphipods were most dense. These findings suggest that gray whales feed selectively on benthic invertebrates during the summer months as far south as northern California.

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