Gray, blue, bowhead and finback are varieties of what?

Gray, blue, bowhead, and finback are varieties of whales. These names refer to different whale species or commonly recognized whale types, all belonging to the order Cetacea and adapted to life in the ocean.

Gray whales are known for long migrations along the Pacific coast, while bowhead whales live primarily in Arctic waters and have exceptionally large heads and thick blubber. Blue whales are the largest animals known to have lived, reaching roughly 30 meters in length. Finback, more commonly written fin whale, refers to the fin whale, the second-largest whale species after the blue whale.

A frequent source of confusion is the word "variety." These are not color varieties of one animal; they are distinct kinds of whales. Most of the examples are baleen whales, meaning they filter small prey such as krill from seawater rather than using teeth. Their names reflect body color, habitat, or physical form.