Species Directory

Marine Mammals

All marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Some are also protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

NOAA Fisheries has jurisdiction over approximately 119 marine mammal species, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has jurisdiction over polar bears, walruses, sea otters, manatees, and dugongs.

Species Illustration	Species Name	Species Category	Protected Status
	Atlantic Humpback Dolphin Sousa teuszii	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Endangered - Foreign Year Listed 2024 --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix I --- --- --- ---
Image	Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Stenella frontalis	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- ---
Image	Baird’s Beaked Whale Berardius bairdii	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- ---
Image	Bearded Seal Erignathus barbatus	Species Category Seals & Sea Lions	Name of DPS or Stock Beringia DPS Species Status ESA Threatened Year Listed 2012 --- Critical Habitat Final Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Okhotsk DPS Species Status ESA Threatened - Foreign Year Listed 2012 --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Beringia DPS Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Okhotsk DPS Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign
Image	Beluga Whale Delphinapterus leucas	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Cook Inlet DPS Species Status ESA Endangered Year Listed 2008 Recovery Plan Final Critical Habitat Final Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Cook Inlet stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Sakhalin Bay-Nikolaya Bay-Amur River stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- ---
Image	Blainville's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon densirostris	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Endangered Year Listed 1970 Recovery Plan Final --- Region Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Bowhead Whale Balaena mysticetus	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Endangered Year Listed 1970 --- --- Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix I --- --- --- ---
Image	Bryde’s Whale Balaenoptera edeni	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	California Sea Lion Zalophus californianus	Species Category Seals & Sea Lions	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region West Coast
Image	Chinese River Dolphin Lipotes vexillifer	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Endangered - Foreign Year Listed 1989 --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix I --- --- --- ---
Image	Clymene Dolphin Stenella clymene	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Western North Atlantic Northern Florida Coastal stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Western North Atlantic Central Florida Coastal stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Western North Atlantic Northern Migratory Coastal stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Western North Atlantic South Carolina-Georgia Coastal stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Western North Atlantic Southern Migratory Coastal stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Cuvier's Beaked Whale Ziphius cavirostris	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Dall’s Porpoise Phocoenoides dalli	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- ---
Image	Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia sima	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image ,	False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens	Species Category Whales Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Main Hawaiian Islands Insular DPS Species Status ESA Endangered Year Listed 2012 Recovery Plan Final Critical Habitat Final Region Pacific Islands Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Main Hawaiian Islands Insular stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Endangered Year Listed 1970 Recovery Plan Final --- Region Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix I --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Fraser's Dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Pacific Islands Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Gervais' Beaked Whale Mesoplodon europaeus	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Gray Seal Halichoerus grypus	Species Category Seals & Sea Lions	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic
Image	Gray Whale Eschrichtius robustus	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Western North Pacific DPS Species Status ESA Endangered Year Listed 1994; 1970 (original) --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Western North Pacific DPS Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix I --- --- --- ---
Image	Guadalupe Fur Seal Arctocephalus townsendi	Species Category Seals & Sea Lions	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Threatened Year Listed 1985 --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix I --- --- --- ---
Image	Harbor Porpoise Phocoena phocoena	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- ---