Migrating gray whale hangs out in Marina Del Rey channel

A California gray whale on its way to Alaska has chosen a channel in Marina del Rey as a rest stop, and marine officials are warning boaters to be extra cautious.  The whale, estimated to be more than 20 feet long, has been swimming and diving in the channel for almost a week now, said Peter Wallerstein, a spokesman for Marine Animal Rescue.

Although the whale has made its way into the open sea in recent days, it keeps returning to the channel,  California gray whales can grow up to 46 feet long and weigh up to 40 tons. Each winter they make their way south to the warm waters off Baja California. From February to May, they migrate to northern Alaska.

“This one is probably a straggler,” Wallerstein said. “Some just take a little longer [to migrate] than others.”

Gray whales are attracted to shallow waters, where they rub the barnacles off their bellies and feed on small crustaceans found in the bottom sediments.  Marine Animal Rescue is tracking the wayward whale's health while it remains channel-bound.