The California Gray Whale was adopted in 1975. The mighty California Gray Whale travels in groups called “pods” off the Pacific coast each winter and spring. Gray Whales are 30 to 50 feet long and weigh as much as 40 tons.

Bag o’ Whale

Supplies needed: paper bags, crayons, blue/gray construction paper, goggly eyes, ripped up newspaper pieces, rubber band, pipe cleaners and glue.

1. Color your paper bag the way you want your whale to look. It can be gray like the State Marine Mammal or blue, black, or just plain white. Make the bag as colored as possible in all the areas of the bag.
2. Then open your bag and stuff the bag packed with ripped up pieces of newspaper. Leave about 3 inches unstuffed.
3. Scrunch the top together and wrap a rubber band around it so it is sealed.
4. Then take your blue/gray construction paper and cut what looks like fins. You need two fins!
5. Flip your whale over and glue them on. One on each side.
6. Then on the bottom of the bag, glue on your googly eyes or draw them on with a marker. Then glue/draw on a smile!
7. One last thing, with a sharp pencil (get mom or dad’s help), punch a hole on the very top of the whale.
8. Take two pipe cleaners and fold them in half. Twist them both together at their bases.
9. You want to curl the top of the pipe cleaners so that they look like water.
10. Then stick the pipe cleaners in the hole you made with the pencil.
11. Watch out!!! Your whale is now spouting out water!!