Whale lice may spread from mother whales to their calves during birth, nursing, or other bodily contact. Up to 1000 of these parasites have been found on a single gray whale. Luckily for the lice-infested whales, other creatures go after the lice.

Whale lice are external parasites, found in skin lesions, genital folds, nostrils and eyes of marine mammals of the order Cetacea. These include not only whales but also dolphins and porpoises. The body of a whale louse is distinctly flat and considerably reduced at the rear.

Whale lice are a type of crustacean ectoparasite that live on the skin of some species of cetaceans. These small, grayish-white creatures are one of the world’s most unique and specialized parasites, having evolved to live exclusively on whales.

Oct 13, 2022 · A humpback whale poking its head out of the water (left) and a close-up shot of whale lice on its nose (right). This calf and its mother were migrating off the Queensland coast in Australia,...

Apr 12, 2023 · Gray Whale Approaches a Boat Captain To Have Lice Removed From Its Body; How Do Ectoprasites Affect Cetaceans? A gray whale and a boat captain have forged a close relationship. A man who...

Gray whales have whale lice which are not true parasites. They feed on the skin and damaged tissue which is beneficial to whales. Whale lice gather around open wounds or scars of the whale. Lice can spread from mother whales to their calves during birth, and nursing.

Feb 15, 2025 · How do gray whales get rid of barnacles? Gray whales intentionally rub themselves against the bottom of the sea during feeding in shallow areas. This behaviour is believed to help them remove ectoparasites like barnacles and whale lice.

Sometimes whale lice squeeze themselves into the space between the shell and the actual body of the whale barnacle. This can create a tight living quarters and might lead to attack by a few whale lice upon the host barnacle.

Nov 5, 2013 · Whale lice (Cyamus scammoni) infesting the blowhole of a juvenile gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) It’s a photo of whale lice. Here's a close-up in case you’re as fascinated as I am: Zoomed-in view of whale lice on gray whale.

Feb 15, 2020 · Gray whales are covered in barnacles and lice! These traveling companions ride along with the whales for a free meal. They do not harm the whale. Barnacles attach to gray whales during their stay in the warm Lagoons of Baja.