The Family Eschrichtiidae consists of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), a group of large baleen whales found primarily in the North Pacific Ocean. Gray whales are migratory, traveling thousands of kilometers between their feeding grounds in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters and their breeding lagoons in Mexico. They are bottom feeders, using their baleen plates to filter small invertebrates from sediment on the ocean floor. Gray whales are notable for their robust, mottled gray bodies, lack of a dorsal fin, and distinct knobby skin patches. As a family, Eschrichtiidae plays a key ecological role in marine ecosystems by stirring up sediments, which recycles nutrients and supports benthic communities.