Wildlife Watching
Marine Mammals
Download Marine Mammals of Cordell Bank information (used during Field Seminar). These fact sheets were compiled by the Marine Mammal Center, and provide background information on mammals that could be seen at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
California Sea
Lion
Cetaceans: Whales,
Dolphins, Porpoises
Gray Whale
Harbor Seal
Humpback Whale
Northern Elephant
Seal
Orca or Killer Whale
The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea
Lions, and Walruses
Find out what mammals are typically here throughout the year.
| Cetaceans | Season |
|---|---|
| Common Dolphin | September-April (Fall best) |
| Pacific White-sided Dolphin | February-November |
| Northern Right Whale Dolphin | May-November |
| Risso's Dolphin | March-November |
| Orca (Killer Whale) | February-November (unpredictable) |
| Harbor Porpoise | All Year |
| Dall's Porpoise | March-November |
| Gray Whale | late December-January and March-April |
| Humpback Whale | April-December (August-November best) |
| Minke Whale | July-November |
| Blue Whale | August-November (October-November best) |
| Sperm Whale | December-February (rare) (deepwater) |
| Baird's Beaked Whale | (not listed) |
| Pinnipeds | Season |
| Northern Fur Seal | August-March |
| California Sea Lion | All Year |
| Harbor Seal | All Year |
| Steller's Sea Lion | All Year |
| Northern Elephant Seal | All Year |
Listen to dolphin
sounds collected through hydrophone on Oct 12th,2008 (1.8Mb mp3)
Thanks to Carol Keiper, Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge for recording and sharing these
sounds.