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Thirty-five species of marine mammals have been observed in the waters around the Channel Islands. This checklist is of animals that are found locally on an annual basis, along with notes of the last observation date and current notes or information on the sighting. This page last updated 08/3/2006.

• Gray (Eschrichtus robustus), 07-19-06, last observed, One Adult Gray Whale feeding at San Miguel Island with another recent sighting of a juvenial off Channel Islands Harbor. In September the eastern North Pacific Grays begin their annual migration from their cold Alaskan feeding waters to the warm breeding and birthing lagoons off Baja, California. They are commonly seen in our area from mid-December through May resting around the islands on their way up or down the coast. The population has grown to about 21,000.
• Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), 07-17-06, 2 humpbacks were observed. These eastern North Pacific Humpbacks are commonly seen around San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands during August and September but can also be seen around any of the islands as early as May.
• Blue (Balaenoptera musculus), 08-2-06, Two observed. These, the largest of all whales, or any living thing for that matter, are making the Santa Barbara Channel their August-September stopover. Grouping with the Humpbacks they often accumulate north of the Santa Cruz-Santa Rosa Island area, but this season are feeding in the eastern end of the channel..
• Fin (Balaenoptera physalus), 07-08-05, Six observed, seldom seen in these waters.
• Sperm (Physeter macrocephalus), 10-4-00, seldom seen.
• Baird's Beaked (Berardius bairdii), rare.
• Minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), 07-10-06, one, a rare sighting of this seldom seen whales.
• Pilot (Globicephala macrohynchus), 5-15-05, one observed, rare, usually observed in the coastal area. This year small numbers have been spotted for the past month. The last prior sightings were in 2001.
• Sei (Balaenoptera borealis), 01-06-04, several were observed just north of Santa Barbara Island. On December 31st they were also seen in the passage between Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands. The Sei whales are infrequent visitors to this area.
• Bryde's (Balaenoptera edeni), rare.
• Right (Eubalaena glacialis), rare.

• Killer (Orcinus orca), 4-15-06, A pair of Orca were observed. Orcas are most common during the gray whale migration from December-April when they hunt Gray Whales, Sea Lions and seals. A few individual Orcas appear to be year-round residents, a likely result of the increasing pinniped population.
• Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griesus), 07-31-06, 20 Rissos were following the squid. A group of 20-50 Risso's have been regularly seen north of West Anacapa Island. Another common name for this dolphin is Grey Grampus.
• Dall's Porpoise (Phocanenoides dalli), 06-24-06, twelve Dall's were seen. These small "Orca looking" porpoises are extremely fast and usually spotted mid-channel.
• Pacific White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), 10 were seen on 06-24-06.
• Northern Right-whale Dolphin (Lissodelphis borealis), rare sighting of 100 on 11-19-05.
• Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis), 08-01-06, as many as 1000 in a group. The most commonly seen cetaceans in the area, almost every channel crossing is graced by meeting these playful residents. The main herd numbers close to 15,000 members but are usually seen in pods of 1000-2000.
• Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), 08-2-06, 25 in a group. Larger than the Commons these dolphins travel in smaller groups of a dozen or less and often seen accompanying large whales.

• Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris), 6-25-04,  one Sea Otter. Once common around the islands, Otters were hunted to extinction locally at the end of the 1800's. Now, a few are spotted here and there, most recently one at San Miguel Island and one seems to be living at Refugio State Beach on the coast north of Santa Barbara.

• California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus ), 23 minutes ago. The most commonly seen of the pinnipeds, the large resident population is observed daily around all of the islands. Possibly 150,000 reside around all eight Channel Islands with 17,000 pups born yearly at San Miguel Island. However on 8-31-04 a 16-17 foot Great White Shark was observed off Yellowbanks, Santa Cruz Island reducing the population by one.
• Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus ), come south to San Miguel Island in May to breed and give birth to 2500 pups yearly.
• Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris ), 7-12-07, come to San Miguel Island twice a year in January and again in June to breed and molt respectively. Males swim 16,000 miles a year during their double migrations and meet females at San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Barbara Islands to have 15,000 pups yearly. As many as 40,000 Elephant seals can be observed at Point Bennett in January.
• Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina ), Individuals are seen year-round at all the islands. Only 1200 total in the area, a decrease from the past.
• Stellar Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus ), Very rarely seen anymore around the islands as their U.S. populations are down 65%. Mostly an Alaskan Species that bred as far south as San Miguel.
• Guadalupe Fur Seal (Arctocephalus townsendi ), Very rarely seen around islands. This was the northern extent of their range 150 years ago but a pup was born at San Miguel in 1997 making scientists hopeful for their future here.

From the Webmaster:

Thank you for visiting us at the Marine Mammal Checklist and Current Observations website. If you have made more recent sightings of the listed marine mammals around the Channel Islands please submit the information by filling out the following form.

http://www.nps.gov/chis/sightings.htm
Last Update: 07/3/06-7
This page constructed bykent_bullard@nps.gov