Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: Marine Mammals List

Abstract

Twenty nine species of marine mammals reside in or migrate through Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Toothed and baleen whales, seals and sea lions and sea otters all represent the adaptation of land-based animal forms for survival in the marine environment. Gray whales, sea otters, harbor seals and Steller and California sea lions can be spotted from land at many locations along the coast at some time during the year. Other whales including humpback whales can only be seen from boats as they feed miles offshore.

Group Common Name Species Occurrence
Carnivore
1 Species		 Sea Otter Enhydra lutris Regular
Pinnipeds
5 species		 California sea lion Zalophus californianus Regular
Northern Sea lion Eumpetopias jubatus Regular
Northern fur seal Callorhinus ursinus Regular
Pacific harbor seal Phoca vitulina Regular
Northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris Regular
Cetaceans
23 species		 California gray whale Eschrichtius robustus Regular
Northern right whale Eubalaena glacialis Rare
Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Regular
Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus Rare
Sei Whale Balaenoptera borealis Rare
Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus Rare
Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae Regular
Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus Rare
Pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps Rare
Stejneger's beaked whale Mesoplodon stejnegeri Rare
Hubb's beaked whale Mesoplodon carlhubbsi Rare
Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris Rare
Baird's beaked whale Beradius bairdii Rare
Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus Rare
Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus Regluar
Killer Whale Orcinus orca Regular
False Killer whale Pseudorca crassidens Rare
Common dolphin Delpinus delphis Rare
Northern right whale dolphin Lissodelphis borealis Regular
Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba Rare
Pacific white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens Regular
Dall's porpoise Phocoenoides dalli Regular
Harbor porpoise Phocoenoides phocoena Regular