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Flex

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Flex was a male western gray whale fitted with a satellite transmitter near Sakhalin Island in Russia in 2010. Tracking data showed him crossing the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska before reaching the west coast of North America, providing evidence of a long-range movement between the western and eastern North Pacific. His route was significant to researchers studying the distribution, migration, and possible interchange of gray whale populations.

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Who was Flex the western gray whale?

Flex was the nickname given to a male western gray whale fitted with a satellite transmitter off Sakhalin Island in October 2010. He was the first individual from that population to be tracked by satellite. [IUCN reference](https://iucn.org/content/western-gray-whale-makes-unexpected-journey)

Where did Flex travel after leaving Sakhalin?

Instead of moving south, Flex crossed the Okhotsk Sea, passed Kamchatka and the Commander Islands, crossed the Bering Sea, and continued through the Aleutians and Gulf of Alaska. The tracking then showed him reaching the west coast of North America. [IUCN reference](https://iucn.org/content/western-gray-whale-makes-unexpected-journey)

Why was Flex's migration important to whale researchers?

His route revealed an unexpected long-range movement between the western Pacific and North American waters. That evidence helped researchers understand that western gray whales may use a much wider migration corridor than previously assumed. [IUCN reference](https://iucn.org/content/western-gray-whale-makes-unexpected-journey)

Was Flex a separate whale species?

No, Flex was one individual gray whale from the western gray whale population. The species is the gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, while western gray whale refers to its population and range.

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