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Marine
Mammal Photos Section 1 Section 2 Individual Names Section 3 |
Section I: Marine Mammal Common Names
(scroll down for pods and behaviors)
Section A:
(whales, dolphins and porpoises)
1. Odontocetes (Suborder Odontoceti)
Toothed cetaceans with one blowhole.
(The odontocetes include all porpoises and dolphins,
and a few true whales.)
direction of travel--------->
-Dall's Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli)
phocoena=porpoise, oides=like, William Dall= a zoologist
| Size: Up to 2 meters. Newborns are typically 1 meter
long. Color: Black with white patches. Group size: 2-15 individuals. Diet: Squid and small schooling fish. Description: Dall's porpoises are the fastest cetaceans, traveling at a top speed of 30 knots. They are also the most common cetacean in local waters, and are found throughout the temperate waters of the North Pacific. When Dall's porpoises swim rapidly at the water's surface (porpoising) they throw a characteristic rooster-tail spray that is obvious from quite a distance. They will occasionally ride in the bow wave of boats. When feeding they swim in circles and slowly roll at the surface, arching their backs steeply just before a deep dive. This "arching" or "sounding" behavior emphasizes the steep bend in the Dall's porpoises caudal peduncle, leading the native Washingtonians (the Quillayutes and the Makahs) to name it "broken tail." Notice that the leading edge of the dorsal fin is shorter and steeper than the trailing edge. |
direction of travel--------->
-Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
phocoena=porpoise
| Size: Up to 1.8 meters. Newborns are .8 meters long. Color: Gray-brown. Group size: Singly or in groups of 2-6. Diet: Squid, octopus, shrimp, small schooling fish. Description: Harbor porpoises are shy, generally solitary animals that are rare in southern Puget Sound, but occasionally sighted in the San Juan Islands. They rarely porpoise like their relatives the Dall's porpoises, and avoid boat traffic at all costs. Harbor porpoises inhabit the coastal regions of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic. A female reaches sexual maturity at 4 years of age, goes through an 11 month gestation period, and calves in the late spring or early summer. The lifespan of a harbor porpoise is fairly short for a cetacean, averaging between 15 and 20 years. Compare the dorsal fin to that of a Dall's porpoise. |
1b. Dolphins (Family Delphinidae)
<--------(female) direction of travel (male)--------->
-Orca (Orcinus orca)
orcynus=tunny(tuna), orca="a kind of whale"
| Size: Up to 9 meters. Color: Black and white. Group size: 1-30 individuals. Diet: Seals, sea lions, birds, fish. Description: Orcas found in Northwest waters are divided into three different races: transients, offshores,and residents. The transients roam up and down the East Pacific Coast in search of their favorite food, other marine mammals. Most of their diet consists of harbor seals, harbor porpoises, Dall's porpoises, California sea lions, and stellar sea lions. But they have also been known to eat marine birds, deer and moose! While foraging, the transients are very quiet, using no echolocation clicks or communication vocalizations, as not to alert their prey to their presence. Once their prey is located and cornered, the orcas will use their fluke to strike and stun their potential meal, then drown and eat it. They will join with other transients while hunting, but are often solitary (especially the adult males, or bulls) or seen in very small groups (2-3). Transients typically dive for 5 to 15 minutes. The offshore race was recently discovered (1991) and as a result, little is known about them. We do know that they travel in large groups (30-60 individuals), and are rare in inland waters, typically staying 10-20 kilometers offshore. Their diet probably consists of fish, as it's advantageous to be in large groups if you need to capture fish, and because of the fact that they are very vocal, unlike the transients. The third race of orcas, the residents, live in very stable groups and are very vocal. They feed primarily (95%) on salmon, and other fishes. Researchers have placed these cetaceans into groups based on similarity of vocalizations, or dialects. The basic unit the orcas are placed in is called the matrilineal group, and consists of a female and her male and female offspring. These groups typically consist of 3-4 generations of up to 9 individuals. Matrilineal groups that are found together most of the time and that share a common vocal dialect are put into the next larger social unit called a subpod. Subpods consist of 1-11 matrilineal groups. If subpods travel often with other subpods, and can be linked by dialect to these other subpods, then they are called a pod. Pods are made up of 1-5 subpods. A clan is the next unit of social organization for resident orcas and is made up of pods with similar dialects, that will occasionally travel together. The resident orcas are further grouped into the largest social unit, the community. Each clan within the community has its own distinct dialect, but it has distant relations to the dialects of the other clans. Whales within a community never travel with whales of another community. We have two communities in local waters, the northern community, made up of 3 clans, 16 pods, and 209 individuals, and the southern community, consisting of 1 clan, 3 pods, and 98 individuals (1996). Adult male (bull) orcas bear distinct and obvious anatomical differences to females and juvenile males. A bull's dorsal fin is much taller and lineated on the trailing edge. His pectoral flippers are also much larger and paddle-shaped, and the edges of his fluke have a downward curve. Juvenile males are difficult to distinguish from females as their fins are shaped the same, but can be distinguished by the pattern of the belly patch. Individual orcas can be identified by injuries to their dorsal fins, and the unique design of their saddle patches. (Please see section 2 on individual orca identification.) |
2. Mysticetes (Suborder Mysticeti)
Baleen cetaceans with two blowholes.
(All mysticetes are true whales.)
2a. Gray Whale (Family Eschrichtiidae)
direction of travel--------->
- Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
Eschricht=a zoologist robustus=strong
| Size: Up to 14 meters. Color: Mottled gray. Group size: Single individuals or mother-calf pairs. Diet: Bottom dwelling organisms like amphipods, crab larvae and worms. Description: The gray whale is easily identified by it lack of a dorsal fin. In it's place it has a series of 6-12 barnacle covered knuckles on its back. Its exhalation, or blow, is low and bushy, and fairly obvious. Gray whales are notorious for throwing their flukes or arching steeply before a deep dive to scour the muddy sea floor for their favorite food: bugs and worms. Gray whales are often sighted near shore all up and down the East Pacific Coast as they complete the longest migration of any of the cetaceans. They spend their winters in Baja California mating and calving, then in the spring leave for their 11,200Km (7000 mile) journey to their primary feeding grounds in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas in Alaska. After gorging themselves for a few months, they work their way back down the coast to Baja in the fall. Because of their unique feeding habits (bottom feeding in shallow water), and the time elapsed since their last meal (about six months) the northerly spring migration is a great opportunity to encounter these whales within view of land-based observers, as they snack on amphipods and crustaceans in shallow coastal waters. Gray whales occasionally make their way into Puget Sound and can travel as far south as Olympia. Some gray whales have developed an affinity for human interactions and have been dubbed "friendly's", sometimes spending hours next to a boat hoping to be petted. Some fear that the renewed harvesting of gray whales by the Makah tribe (scheduled for the spring 1996 northerly migration) will destroy this new kinship between whales and humans (not to speak of the individual friendly's). |
2b. Fin Whales (Family Balaenopteridae)
<---------direction of travel
-Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
balaena=whale pteron=wing acutus=pointed rostrum=snout
| Size: Up to 9.2 meters in Northern Hemisphere. Color: Black to dark gray dorsal surface, white ventrally. Group size: 1-3 individuals. Diet: Small schooling fish and krill. Description: Minke whales are very distinctive when sighted, with their tall, falcate dorsal fin set far back on the body. Their blow is only visible under ideal lighting conditions, but is very audible. Minkes will occasionally approach stationary boats for a quick glance, then swim off. If this happens to you, try to notice the v-shaped head with a narrow ridge just as it surfaces. Unlike their relative the gray whale, minkes don't throw their flukes before a deep dive, instead, they arch their back steeply. Twenty eight individual minkes have been identified by researchers in our inland waters, and are regular visitors to the greater Puget Sound region. Minke whales are the most commonly sighted baleen whales in the inland waters of Washington, and are the most numerous of the mysticetes in the world. The reason for this abundance is their size. At a length of around 9 meters, the minkes are the smallest of the baleen whales. Historically, whalers hunted the larger baleen whales because they offered a higher economic yield. Species formerly hunted in northwest waters included the humpback, fin, sperm, sei, and blue whales. But overhunting resulted in a collapse of the stocks of large whales to the point that it was no longer economically feasible to hunt them (economic extinction). This left us with only the smallest of the whales in large numbers. Then, in the 1970's, the whalers began to hunt the only numerous mysticete left. By the mid-1980's an average of 10,000 minkes were taken annually by Japan, Norway, Korea, and Taiwan, and the harvest continues to date. The minkes will also decline to economic extinction if this continues. |
Section B:
3. Pinnipeds (Suborder Pinnipedia)
The seals, sea lions, and walruses.
3a. True Seals (Family Phocidae)
- Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)
phoce=seal vitula=calf inus=like
| Size: Up to 1.9 meters. Color: Typically gray with black and white spots. (Can be tan to black.) Group size: 1-30 individuals. Diet: Herring, hake, sculpin, tomcod. (Very little, if any, predation on salmon.) Description: The harbor seal is easily distinguished from the other pinnipeds in Puget Sound by its small size, its spotted appearance, and its lack of external ear flaps. When hauled out on shore, the harbor seal's locomotion is also rather unique, consisting of bouncing and wiggling. It cannot "walk" like the other common pinnipeds in our area because its pelvis is fused, instead of hinged, like the California sea lion's. And, the harbor seal is lacking in any real vocal repertoire, reduced to quiet cooing between a female and her newborn pup, which sounds coincidentally like a nasal "maaaaa". There are about 5000 harbor seals who make Puget Sound their permanent residence, but the east Pacific species on the whole ranges from Baja California to the Bering Sea in Alaska. Harbor seals have a lifespan of about 30 years, with the females living longer than the males. Gender can be distinguished only on close inspection of the ventral surface, males having a genital opening halfway from the naval to the rear flippers, and females having two nipples a fourth of the way from the naval to the rear flippers. Harbor seals are often sighted spyhopping in the water, peeking their head up to look around. Occasionally they will approach a stationary vessel for a closer look. If a seal decides to "check you out", remember that it's a wild animal with sharp teeth, not a cute cuddly pet who wants to be petted (personal observation). Harbor seals can also be seen hauling out on a rock, log, or beach to rest, give birth, or nurse their young. They should not be approached when participating in this activity, as mother and newborn can become separated if frightened-off of the haul-out. This can lead to infant mortality. Sometimes, a female will leave her pup on shore while she goes off to fish to replenish her milk supplies. Unknowing passerby's who try to "rescue" the pup will only be leading to its demise. Its best to just leave the apparently abandoned pup alone, as its mother will eventually return to reclaim it. Predators on the harbor seal include the white shark, orcas, stellar sea lions, polar bears, coyotes, and bald eagles. Three harbor seals have been individually photo-identified near Bainbridge Island. |
3b. Sea Lions (Family Otariidae)
- II a. California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)
za=intensive prefix, lophus=crest, califronianus=California
| Size: Males-2.4meters, 390 Kg. Females-2 meters, 110
Kg. Color: Dark brown to black. Group size: 1-10 individuals (non-breeding areas like Puget Sound). Diet: Hake, herring. (Also an opportunistic predator that preys on human concentrated steelhead (not salmon) at the Ballard Locks.) Description: The California sea lion is distinguished by its dark color, long, hairless flippers, and pronounced sagittal crest (hump) on the adult males forehead. A loud, persistent bark is the vocal signature this pinniped, and can be heard for kilometers on a still day. California sea lions are late fall, winter, and early spring residents of Puget Sound, spending their summers in rookeries (breeding colonies) in their namesake state. California sea lions are generally sighted on haul-outs like marker buoys or docks, but are occasionally seen free swimming. They can attain speeds of up to 32 Km/hr (20 mph) and will sometimes porpoise clear of the water when swimming fast. Predators include the white shark and transient orcas. California sea lions are often captured for use in cirsuses, being improperly labelled as "seals". |
- Stellar (Northern) Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
eu=typical, metopion=broad forehead, jubatus=having a mane
| Size: Male-3.25 meters, 1120 Kg. Female-2.9 meters,
350Kg. Color: Tan to golden. Group size: 1-10 individuals (non-breeding areas like Puget Sound). Diet: Flounder, cod, rockfish, squid, octopus, salmon, other pinniped pups. Description: Stellar sea lions can be distinguished from California sea lions by their lighter coloration, larger size, much less pronounced sagittal crest, and thicker neck. Vocalizations are rarer and consist of a deep roar instead of a sharp bark. Their breeding range is from California to Alaska, with an unexplainable lack of rookeries on the Washington coast, and most of the individuals breeding in Alaska. The number of the Alaskan Stellar sea lions is dramatically decreasing though, most likely due to competition for prey with the Alaskan fisheries, who have caused the collapse of several species of fish from over-harvesting. Threatened or endangered listing has been recommended by biologists, but recent legislation has halted any new listings. Predators include the white shark and transient orcas. |
4. Mustelids (Family Mustelidae)
The otters, weasels, and minks.
4a. Otters (Family Mustelidae)
- Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
enhydris=Greek for otter, lutra=Latin for otter
| Size: 1.5 meters, 45 Kg. Color: Brown with a light gray head. Group size: Lone individual if sighted in inland waters (very rare). Diet: Clams, mussels, abalone, sea urchins, crabs, limpets, chitons, sea cucumbers, scallops, worms, red octopuses, anemones, worms. Description: Sea otters were common on Washington's outer coast until their extinction from overharvest in the 1800's. Then, from 1965-1972, about 100 sea otters were successfully re-introduced on the west coast and are thriving to date, with current numbers up around 200. These otters rarely make it into inland waters, though, and most "sea otter" sightings are actually of river otters. Sea otters are the largest members of the mustelid family. They use air trapped in their extremely dense hair to maintain their buoyancy, and are the most buoyant of all marine mammals. Sea otters have developed the use of tools, using rocks placed on their chests to crack-open hard to get at shellfish. Sea otters also hunt for red octopuses in aluminum cans. They have discovered that these tiny octopuses will take-up residence in abandoned cans and will collect cans and tear them open with their teeth in hopes of finding a succulent meal inside. |
- River Otter (Lutra canadensis)
lutra=otter, canadensis=Canada
| Size: Up to 1.3 meters, 16 Kg. Color: Brown. Group size: 1-7 individuals. (Groups are family units.) Diet: Gunnels, flounder, red rock crabs, red octopuses, surf perch, sculpins, sea birds and their young. Description: River otters are often sighted in the inland waters of Washington state, swimming along on their tummies, or running along the shore line. They are often confused with their relatives the sea otters, but are actually quite easily distinguished from them. River otters swim on their stomachs, are smaller, have a brown face, and a long, slender tail. Sea otters swim on their backs, are larger, have a light gray face, and a short, stocky tail. River otters are more social than any other of the mustelids, forming social groups of adult females and her offspring, and also forming bachelor groups. River otters are not technically marine mammals and are therefore not allowed the protection of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. As a result, about 500 are taken each year from Washington and Canadian waters for their fur. |
4b. Minks (Family Mustelidae)
- Mink (Mustela vision)
mustela = Roman for weasel, vison = French for mink
|
Coloration: Reddish-brown coat.
Size: 50-70 cm Description: The mink is an aquatic weasel that occasionally utilizes saltwater habitats similar to those used by river otters. Like Lutra, they feed primarily on crabs and small fish in the Salish Sea. Mink can be distinguished from river otters by their smaller size, shorter legs, and noticeably red coat. When agitated, a mink will emit a fluid discharge similar to a skunk from its anal gland, though it is much more potent than a skunk's discharge. |
Section II: Individual Orca Identification
J POD INDIVIDUALS
(scroll down for behaviors)
J2 Subpod
J8 Matrilineal group
 J6 Ralph |
 J8 Spieden | | |
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 J4 Mama | |
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 J19 Shachi |
---------| J11 Blossom | |
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 J31 Tsuchi |
---------| J27 Blackberry |
J2 Subpod
J7 Matrilineal group
 J16 Slick | |
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 J33 |
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J2 Subpod
J9 Matrilineal group
 J5 Saratoga | |
 J10 Tahoma | |
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 J17 Princess Angeline | | | |
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 J18 Everett |
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 J20 Ewok | | | |
----------| J22 Oreo |
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 J28 Polaris |
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 J32 |
J2 Subpod
J2 Matrilineal group
 J1 Ruffles |
 J2 Granny | | |
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 J12 Sissy | |
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 J14 Samish| |
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 J30 Riptide |
K POD INDIVIDUALS
(scroll down for more pods and behaviors)
K7 Subpod
K7 Matrilineal group
 K7 Lummi | |
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 K11 Georgia | | | |
---------| K1 Taku |
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 K13 Skagit | |
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 K20 Spock |
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 K25 Scoter |
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K27 Deadhead |
K7 Subpod
K8 Matrilineal group
 K3 Sounder | |
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K29 |
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 K14 Lea | |
---------| K16 Opus |
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 K26 Lobo |
K7 Subpod
K4 Matrilineal group
 K4 Morgan | |
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 K12 Sequim | |
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 K22 Sekiu |
---------| K28 Raven |
K18 Subpod
K18 Matrilineal group
 K18 Kiska | |
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 K40 Raggedy |
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L POD INDIVIDUALS
(scroll down for behaviors)
L25 Subpod
L37 Matrilineal group
 L7 Canuck | |
 L43 Jelly Roll | |
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 L53 Lulu |
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 L72 Racer |
--------| L95 |
L25 Subpod
L25 Matrilineal group
 L25 Ocean Sun |
L25 Subpod
L2 Matrilineal group
 L2 Grace | |
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 L39 Orcan |
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 L67 Splash |
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 L78 Gaia |
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 L88 Wave Walker |
L25 Subpod
L4 Matrilineal group
 L4 Sonar | |
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 L27 Ophelia | | | | |
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 L55 Nugget | | | | |
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 L61 Astral |
---------| L86 Surprise! |
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 L82 Kasatka |
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 L62 Cetus |
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 L68 Elwha |
------------| L93 |
L25 Subpod
L26 Matrilineal group
 L26 Baba | |
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 L60 Rascal | |
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 L71 Hugo |
---------| L90 Ballena |
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 L81 Raina |
---------| L92 |
L25 Subpod
L45 Matrilineal group
 L45 Asterix | |
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 L57 Faith |
L25 Subpod
L21 Matrilineal group
 L21 Ankh | |
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 L47 Marina | |
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 L83 Moonlight |
---------| L91 |
L35 Subpod
L35 Matrilineal group
 L35 Victoria | |
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 L1 Oskar |
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 L54 Ino |
----------| L65 Aquarius |
L12 Subpod
L32 Matrilineal group
 L32 Olympia | |
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 L22 Spirit | | | |
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 L44 Leo |
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 L63 Scotia |
--------| L87 Onyx |
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L89 Solstice |
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 L75 Panda |
-----------| L79 Skana |
L12 Subpod
L28 Matrilineal group
 L28 Misky | |
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 L38 Dylan |
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L12 Subpod
L12 Matrilineal group
 L12 Alexis | |
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 L11 Squirty | | | | |
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 L77 Matia |
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 L41 Mega |
---------| L94 |
L25 Subpod
L9 Matrilineal group
 L9 Hopi | |
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 L3 Oriana | |
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 L58 Sparky |
---------| L74 Flash |
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 L33 Chinook |
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 L51 Nootka | | | |
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 L84 Nyssa |
Copyright 2000 RavenScience.org
Section III: Marine Mammal Behaviors
1) Spyhopping - Head out of water, looking around.
2) Breaching - Jumps at least 2/3 out of water, lands sideways with a big splash.
3) Lobtailing - Slaps fluke (tail fin) on waters surface producing splash.
4) Belly-up Lobtailing - Lying upside-down in the water and slapping fluke.
5) Kelping - Rubbing kelp over the body, especially the fluke.
6) Fin Flapping - Lying on side and slapping pectoral (front, side) fin on waters surface.
7) Cartwheeling - Fluke is moved sideways rapidly, lots of spray, leads to flipping end over end.
8) Throwing the Flukes - Raising the fluke slowly before a deep dive. No splash.
9) Sounding or Arching - Bending the back at a steep arch just before a deep dive. No splash.
10) Porpoising or Speed Swimming - Swimming very fast, half-way out of the water, with lots of splash.
11) Hauling Out - Pinnipeds lying on shore or a rock to rest or nurse.
12) Rafting - Pinnipeds lying on their side in the water, with pectoral fin sticking up.
13) Bow Riding - Riding in the pressure wave at the front of a boat.
2) Breaching - Jumps at least 2/3 out of water, lands sideways with a big splash.
3) Lobtailing - Slaps fluke (tail fin) on waters surface producing splash.
4) Belly-up Lobtailing - Lying upside-down in the water and slapping fluke.
5) Kelping - Rubbing kelp over the body, especially the fluke.
6) Fin Flapping - Lying on side and slapping pectoral (front, side) fin on waters surface.
7) Cartwheeling - Fluke is moved sideways rapidly, lots of spray, leads to flipping end over end.
8) Throwing the Flukes - Raising the fluke slowly before a deep dive. No splash.
9) Sounding or Arching - Bending the back at a steep arch just before a deep dive. No splash.
10) Porpoising or Speed Swimming - Swimming very fast, half-way out of the water, with lots of splash.
11) Hauling Out - Pinnipeds lying on shore or a rock to rest or nurse.
12) Rafting - Pinnipeds lying on their side in the water, with pectoral fin sticking up.
13) Bow Riding - Riding in the pressure wave at the front of a boat.
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