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Marine
Mammals
PINNIPEDS
Seals &
Sea Lions
HAWAII
Monachus schauinslandi
Cargo Pier, Midway Atoll
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Diamond Head, Oahu |
Cargo Pier, Midway Atoll
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South Reef, Kure Atoll |
Diamond Head, Oahu
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Diamond Head, Oahu |
Diamond Head, Oahu |
Southeast Island, Pearl & Hermes Reef |
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HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL
| Endemic to Hawaii; a federally endangered species. Only 1200
individuals remain, mostly at the uninhabited Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands. Some individuals visit beaches in the main
Hawaiian Islands and must be observed from at least 100 feet unless the
animal comes toward you while you are in the water. Do not attempt
to approach, pursue, or touch, as it is illegal and they can bite.
For
more information about Monk Seals |
CETACEANS
Whales
Order
Mysticeti
Baleen Whales
| Baleen whales have jaws with many stiff plates used to strain small
food items from mouthfuls of seawater. They also have a pair of
blowholes and communicate using sound. Baleen whales do not
possess the ability to use sound for navigation (echolaction). |
HAWAII
Megaptera novangliae
Pailolo Channel, Hawaii |
West Maui |
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HUMPBACK WHALE
| The North Pacific population spends winter in Hawaii, Japan, or Mexico
for mating/calving before returning to feed upon small fishes and
crustaceans. Only males 'sing' during the mating season, the same
song is used by the entire group while the arrangement evolves from year
to year. |
Order
Odontoceti
Toothed Whales
| Toothed whales include dolphins, porpoises, sperm, and beaked
whales. They have a single blowhole, conical teeth, and use sounds
for echolocation and communication. Most are not endangered
species but are protected
by federal law. Dolphins are wild animals and should be
treated with respect for your safety. |
HAWAII
Pseudorca
crassidens
Sea Life Park, Oahu, Hawaii |
Sea Life Park, Oahu, Hawaii |
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FALSE KILLER WHALE
| Occasional in open water adjacent to oceanic islands. |
Stenella longirostris
Midway Lagoon, 30 feet |
Kewalo, Oahu |
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HAWAIIAN SPINNER DOLPHIN
| Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins form large resident pods that rest in quiet
sandy bays during the day. They feed upon squid and small fish in
the open sea at night. Noted for their spinning acrobatics,
believed to be a form of communication. |
Tursiops truncatus &
T. gilli
Sea Life Park, Oahu, Hawaii
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Sea Life Park, Oahu, Hawaii |
Sea Life Park, Oahu, Hawaii |
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ATLANTIC & PACIFIC
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS
| Common in small pods in warm & temperate coastal waters.
Most taxonomists recognize regional populations at the species
level. Pacific Bottlenose dolphins are larger, darker, with more
curved/raked fins. The Atlantic Bottlenose is most widely in use
at marine parks and aquariums. |
Orcinus orca
Sea World Orlando |
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KILLER WHALE
| Found mostly in temperate waters of the world. Rarely seen in
Hawaii. |
ARCTIC OCEAN
Delphinapterus leucas
Vancouver Aquarium, Canada |
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BELUGA or WHITE WHALE
| Found in coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean. |
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