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
Image	Ribbon Seal Histriophoca fasciata	Species Category Seals & Sea Lions	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska
Image	Rice's Whale Balaenoptera ricei	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Endangered Year Listed 2019 --- --- Region Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix I --- --- --- ---
Image	Ringed Seal Phoca (pusa) hispida	Species Category Seals & Sea Lions	Name of DPS or Stock Ladoga subspecies Species Status ESA Endangered - Foreign Year Listed 2012 --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Saimaa subspecies Species Status ESA Endangered - Foreign Year Listed 1993 --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Arctic subspecies Species Status ESA Threatened Year Listed 2012 (original); 2018 (reinstated) --- Critical Habitat Final Region Alaska Name of DPS or Stock Baltic subspecies Species Status ESA Threatened - Foreign Year Listed 2012 --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Okhotsk subspecies 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 Ladoga subspecies Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Okhotsk subspecies Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Baltic subspecies Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Saimaa subspecies Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Arctic subspecies Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign
Image	Risso’s Dolphin Grampus griseus	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	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	Rough-Toothed Dolphin Steno bredanensis	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 Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Sei Whale Balaenoptera borealis	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	Short-Beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis	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 Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image ,	Short-Finned Pilot Whale Globicephala macrorhynchus	Species Category Whales Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	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	Southern Right Whale Eubalaena australis	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Endangered - Foreign Year Listed 1970 --- --- 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	Sowerby's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon bidens	Species Category Whales	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic 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	Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus	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	Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast Name of DPS or Stock Eastern stock Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic 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	Spotted Seal Phoca largha	Species Category Seals & Sea Lions	Name of DPS or Stock Southern DPS Species Status ESA Threatened - Foreign Year Listed 2010 --- --- Region Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign Name of DPS or Stock Southern DPS Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska Foreign
Image	Stejneger's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon stejnegeri	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	Steller Sea Lion Eumetopias jubatus	Species Category Seals & Sea Lions	Name of DPS or Stock Western DPS Species Status ESA Endangered Year Listed 1997; 1990 (original) Recovery Plan Final Critical Habitat Final 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 Western DPS Species Status MMPA Depleted --- --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Name of DPS or Stock Western DPS Species Status MMPA Strategic --- --- --- Region Alaska West Coast Foreign
Image	Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba	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 Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- --- Name of DPS or Stock Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region Species Status SPAW Annex II --- --- --- ---
Image	Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin Sousa chinensis taiwanensis	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin subspecies Species Status ESA Endangered - Foreign Year Listed 2018 --- --- 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	True's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon mirus	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	Vaquita Phocoena sinus Also Known As Gulf of California harbor porpoise, Cochito	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status ESA Endangered - Foreign Year Listed 1985 --- --- 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	White-Beaked Dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris	Species Category Dolphins & Porpoises	Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status MMPA Protected --- --- --- Region New England/Mid-Atlantic Name of DPS or Stock Throughout Its Range Species Status CITES Appendix II --- --- --- ---