Marine biologists like Schulman-Janiger identify orcas by the shape of their dorsal fin, saddle patch — the gray ... fin whale that washed ashore on Dec. 10 in San Diego's Pacific Beach.

gray whales are easy to spot due to their lack of a dorsal fin, as well as their mottled grey and white skin. While they are a common sighting in the North Pacific Ocean, these whales are locally ...