Humpback whale Mexico DPS critical habitat for use in ESA/FIFRA consultations

Critical habitat for the Mexico DPS of humpback whales includes all marine waters within these designated areas: (1) Alaska. The nearshore boundaries are generally defined by the 1-m isobath relative to mean lower low water (MLLW). On the north side of the Aleutian Islands, the seaward boundary of the critical habitat is defined by a line extending from 55° 41 N, 162° 41' W west to 55° 41' N, 169° 30' W, then southward through Samalga Pass to a boundary drawn along the 2,000-m isobath on the south side of the islands. This isobath forms the southern boundary of the critical habitat, eastward to 164° 25' W. From this point, the 1,000-m isobath forms the offshore boundary, which extends eastward to 158° 39' W. Critical habitat also includes the waters around Kodiak Island and the Barren Islands. The western boundary for this area runs southward along 154° 54' W to the 1,000-m depth contour, and then extends eastward to a boundary at 150° 40' W. The area also extends northward to the mouth of Cook Inlet where it is bounded by a line that extends from Cape Douglas across the inlet to Cape Adam. Critical habitat also includes the Prince William Sound area and associated waters defined by an eastern boundary at 148° 31' W, a western boundary at 145° 27' W, and a seaward boundary drawn along the 1,000-m isobath. (2) Washington. The nearshore boundary is defined by the 50-m isobath, and the offshore boundary is defined by the 1,200-m isobath relative to MLLW. Critical habitat also includes waters within the U.S. portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to an eastern boundary line at Angeles Point at 123° 33' W. (3) Oregon. The nearshore boundary is defined by the 50-m isobath. The offshore boundary is defined by the 1,200-m isobath relative to MLLW; except, in areas off Oregon south of 42° 10', the offshore boundary is defined by the 2,000-m isobath. (4) California. The nearshore boundary is defined by the 50-m isobath relative to MLLW except, from 38° 40' N to 36° 00' N, the nearshore boundary is defined by the 15-m isobath relative to MLLW; and from 36° 00' N to 34° 30' N, the nearshore boundary is defined by the 30-m isobath relative to MLLW. North of 40° 20' N, the offshore boundary of the critical habitat is defined by a line corresponding to the 2,000-m isobath, and from 40° 20' N to 38° 40' N, the offshore boundary is defined by the 3,000-m isobath. From 38° 40' N southward, the remaining areas have an offshore boundary defined by a line corresponding to the 3,700-m isobath. Critical habitat does not include manmade structures (e.g., ferry docks, sea plane facilities) and the land on which they rest within the critical habitat boundaries. Critical habitat does not include the following particular areas owned or controlled by the Department of Defense, or designated for its use, where they overlap with the critical habitat: (1) Pursuant to ESA section 4(a)(3)(B), all areas subject to the Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, CA, and the Naval Outlying Field, San Nicolas Island, CA approved Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans (INRMPs); (2) Pursuant to ESA section 4(b)(2), the Quinault Range Site (QRS) with an additional 10-km buffer that extends along the southern edge of the QRS and along the northern edge of the QRS except in areas past 10-km into the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Please see the final rule for additional information.

Spatial data for designated critical habitat of the humpback whale (Mexico DPS) published in 86 FR 21082 on April 21, 2021.

Note that this ESA/FIFRA spatial data file contains the same information as NMFS’s “agency-official” species critical habitat data as seen via the critical habitat mapper: https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=f66c1e33f91d480db7d1b1c1336223c3

NMFS OPR added a new "Citation", "File Identifier", “Credits”, and “Point of Contact” to this metadata record that are unique to the ESA/FIFRA consultations.

These data are not the official legal definition of critical habitat. The Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR 226.227) is the source for the legal definition of the critical habitat designation. These data should not be used for enforcement or navigation.

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