• Mt. Baker from American Camp prairie

    San Juan Island

    National Historical Park Washington

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  • Park on Winter Schedule

    The American Camp Visitor Center is closed Thanksgiving Day, re-opening Friday. Winter hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday. The English Camp Visitor Center is closed for the winter. Grounds at both units are open from dawn to 11 p.m. daily. More »

Marine Mammals

bigstockphoto_Killer_Whales_2403567
An Orca(Orcinus orca)glides by off Lime Kiln State park on the west side of San Juan island. Orca also are regularly seen off American Camp during spring and summer.
BigStock Photo
 

Marine mammals are mammals that are well adapted for life in the marine environment. Two major groups of marine mammals are:

  1. Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises)
  2. Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses)

There are approximately 125 marine mammal species worldwide managed under the MMPA. Of those 125, 8 species are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (walrus, polar bear, sea otter, marine otter, West African manatee, Amazonian manatee, West Indian manatee, and dugong).

Status of Marine Mammals
All marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA); some marine mammals may be designated as "depleted" under the MMPA. Endangered and threatened marine mammals are further protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

More links:

Marine mammals of the Salish Sea, compiled by Albert Shepard
http://www.whale-museum.org/programs/mmsn.html

Did You Know?

Capt. Geoffrey Phipps Hornby, RN

Capt. Geoffrey Phipps Hornby of HMS Tribune refused Governor James Douglas’s orders to land Royal Marines on San Juan Island realizing that his opposite, Capt. George Pickett, would open fire.  The policy of the Royal Navy was only to fire if fired upon. More...