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How does a gray whale feed on bottom-dwelling animals?

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Illustration showing various cetaceans, including baleen whales like the blue whale, fin whale, humpback whale, gray whale, sei whale, northern right whale, and bowhead whale, as well as toothed whales such as the sperm whale, narwhal, beluga, Baird's beaked whale, killer whale, dolphins, and porpoises. Each species is labeled with its scientific name and typical or maximum length, with a size scale in the corner for reference. — cetacean Whales (order Cetacea).

The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a unique cetacean known for its bottom-feeding behavior. Unlike many other baleen whales that filter-feed on organisms suspended in the water column, the gray whale specifically targets bottom-dwelling animals.12

To feed, the gray whale typically rolls onto its side and swims along the seafloor, using its mouth to scoop up sediment and benthic organisms. It then uses its short, coarse baleen plates to strain the food from the mud and water. This specialized feeding strategy allows the gray whale to exploit food sources on the ocean floor that are inaccessible to many other marine species.1