Ken Bailey spotted this young, pre-adult, Gray Whale feeding off the Mendonoma Coast. It has quite a load of barnacles on its head.

Whale expert Scott Mercer took a look at these photos. He said the size of the whale's head tells him it is around three years old.

It's great to see this young whale. Gray whales don't become mature - sexually active - until they are at least eight years old.

Thanks to Ken for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Ken's wildlife photography, in particular his underwater photography, here is a link to his website: http://www.seadreams.org/