Mammals of Washington: Cetacea
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order: Cetacea
- suborder: Mysticeti
- family: Balaenidae
- Black Right Whale
(Eubalaena glacialis)
- Black Right Whale
- family: Balaenopteridae
- Minke Whale
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
- Sei Whale
(Balaenoptera borealis)
- Blue Whale
(Balaenoptera musculus)
- Fin Whale
(Balaenoptera physalus)
- Humpback Whale
(Megaptera novaengliae)
- Minke Whale
- family: Eschrichtidae
- Gray Whale
(Eschrictius robustus)
- Gray Whale
- family: Balaenidae
- suborder: Odontoceti
- family: Delphinidae
- Short-beaked Saddleback Dolphin
(Delphinus delphis)
- Risso's Dolphin
(Grampus griseus)
- Pacific White-sided Dolphin
(Lagenorynchus obliquidens)
- Northern Right-Whale Dolphin
(Lissodelphis borealis)
- Killer Whale
(Orcinus orca)
- Short-beaked Saddleback Dolphin
- family: Phocoenidae
- Harbor Porpoise
(Phocoena phocoena)
- Dall's Porpoise
(Phocoenoides dalli)
- Harbor Porpoise
- family: Physeteridae
- Pygmy Sperm Whale
(Kogia breviceps)
- Dwarf Sperm Whale
(Kogia sima)
- Sperm Whale
(Physeter catodon)
- Pygmy Sperm Whale
- family: Ziphiidae
- Baird's Beaked Whale
(Berardius bairdii)
- Hubbs' Beaked Whale
(Mesoplodon carlhubbsi)
- Stejneger's Beaked Whale
(Mesoplodon stejnegeri)
- Cuvier's Beaked Whale
(Ziphius cavirostris)
- Baird's Beaked Whale
- family: Delphinidae
- suborder: Mysticeti
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Black Right Whale
Eubalaena glacialisOrder Cetacea, Suborder Mysticeti, Family Balaenidae
General range: Polar and subpolar waters.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Plankton.
identification: Bumps on upper surface of head, just in front of blowhole; blow projects from body in a wide "V"; baleen long, thin, and all black.
conservation: State Endangered; Federal Endangered.
links:
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Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrataOrder Cetacea, Suborder Mysticeti, Family Balaenopteridae
General range: Inshore and offshore oceanwide.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean, Salish Sea, Puget Sound.
diet: Small shoal fish.
identification: Smallest baleen whale in the Northern Hemisphere; snout triangular; white on underside; white band on flippers.
links:
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Sei Whale
Balaenoptera borealisOrder Cetacea, Suborder Mysticeti, Family Balaenopteridae
General range: Open ocean in non-polar regions.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Small shoal fish, plankton.
identification: Back gray, some white on front belly; snout pointed and arched.
conservation: State Endangered; Federal Endangered.
links:
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Blue Whale
Balaenoptera musculusOrder Cetacea, Suborder Mysticeti, Family Balaenopteridae
General range: Worldwide in the open ocean.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Plankton.
identification: Largest animal on earth; bluish-gray mottled with grayish-white; flippers white below; snout broad and "U-shaped".
conservation: State Endangered; Federal Endangered.
links:
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Fin Whale
Balaenoptera physalusOrder Cetacea, Suborder Mysticeti, Family Balaenopteridae
General range: Worldwide in the open ocean.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Plankton, fish, and squid.
identification: Gray back with white belly; flippers white below; snout "V-shaped".
conservation: State Endangered; Federal Endangered.
links:
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Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaengliaeOrder Cetacea, Suborder Mysticeti, Family Balaenopteridae
Photo by Michael Dawes@flickr.com.General range: Worldwide.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean, Salish Sea, Puget Sound.
diet: Krill and shoaling fish.
identification: Head flattened with many bumps; flippers very long, scalloped on the leading edge, and nearly all-white.
conservation: State Endangered; Federal Endangered.
links:
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Gray Whale
Eschrictius robustusOrder Cetacea, Suborder Mysticeti, Family Eschrichtidae
Photo by SparkyLeigh@flickr.com.General range: Coastal waters of the northern Pacific.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean, Salish Sea, Puget Sound.
diet: Bottom-feeding crustaceans.
identification: Mottled gray; yellowish baleen; head sharply pointed and usually covered with barnicles; broad tail flukes.
conservation: State Sensitive.
links:
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Short-beaked Saddleback Dolphin
Delphinus delphisOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Delphinidae
General range: Worldwide in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical waters.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Fish and squid.
identification: Often seen in large groups; white patch on chest and belly; dorsal fin slender and slightly backcurved.
links:
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Risso's Dolphin
Grampus griseusOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Delphinidae
General range: Worldwide in deep tropical and warm temperate waters.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Fish and squid.
identification: Gray to white coloration; bulbous head with pointed snout; backcurved dorsal fin.
links:
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Pacific White-sided Dolphin
Lagenorynchus obliquidensOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Delphinidae
General range: Deep temperate waters of the north Pacific.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean, Salish Sea, Puget Sound.
diet: Fish and squid.
identification: Black back with light gray stripe on sides and white belly; large, sickle-shaped dorsal fin that is pale gray on hind margin and black in front.
links:
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Northern Right-Whale Dolphin
Lissodelphis borealisOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Delphinidae
General range: Deep, cool temperate waters of the northern Pacific.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Fish and squid.
identification: No dorsal fin; long body that tapers to an extremely slender tail stock and tail flukes. Hourglass-shaped patch of white on chest.
links:
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Killer Whale
Orcinus orcaOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Delphinidae
Photo by SparkyLeigh@flickr.com.General range: Worldwide.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean, Salish Sea, Puget Sound.
diet: Large fish and other marine mammals.
identification: Largest member of the dolphin family; black with white belly; white oval just behind eye; very tall dorsal fin.
conservation: State Candidate.
links:
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Harbor Porpoise
Phocoena phocoenaOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Phocoenidae
General range: Offshore in cold temperate and subarctic waters of the Northern Hemisphere.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean, Salish Sea, Puget Sound.
diet: Schooling fish.
identification: Smallest marine mammal in the eastern North Pacific; small, triangular dorsal fin; chunky body with rounded head.
conservation: State Candidate.
links:
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Dall's Porpoise
Phocoenoides dalliOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Phocoenidae
General range: Northern North Pacific.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean, Salish Sea, Puget Sound.
diet: Fish and squid.
identification: White patch on belly extending from mid-body to tail flukes; white markings on dorsal fin and tail flukes.
links:
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Pygmy Sperm Whale
Kogia brevicepsOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Kogiidae
General range: Offshore in temperate, subtropical and tropical waters.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Small fish, shrimp, and squid.
identification: Robust body; squarish head; mouth set well behind tip of snout. Small dorsal fin located two-thirds of the way from the head to the tail.
links:
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Dwarf Sperm Whale
Kogia simaOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Kogiidae
General range: Offshore in temperate, subtropical and tropical waters.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Small fish, shrimp, and squid.
identification: Robust body; squarish head; mouth set well behind tip of snout. Dorsal fin located in middle of back.
links:
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Sperm Whale
Physeter catodonOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Physeteridae
General range: Worldwide in offshore waters.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Fish, squid, and octopi.
identification: Huge head that comprises one-third of total length; distinct dorsal hump; tail flukes very broad and thick.
conservation: State Endangered; Federal Endangered.
links:
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Baird's Beaked Whale
Berardius bairdiiOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Ziphiidae
General range: North Pacific.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Fish, squid, and octopi.
identification: Bulbous head; snout long and like that of the bottle-nosed dolphin; lower jaw extends past tip of upper jaw.
links:
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Hubbs' Beaked Whale
Mesoplodon carlhubbsiOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family ZiphiidaeGeneral range: North Pacific.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Fish and squid.
identification: Gray with lighter belly.
links:
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Stejneger's Beaked Whale
Mesoplodon stejnegeriOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Ziphiidae
General range: North Pacific.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Primarily squid.
identification: Dark above, lighter below.
links:
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Cuvier's Beaked Whale
Ziphius cavirostrisOrder Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Family Ziphiidae
General range: Deep waters in non-polar regions.
Range in Washington: Pacific Ocean.
diet: Fish and squid.
identification: Rust brown above, dark brown or black below.
links:
