Marine mammals (whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and walrus) are a vital component to the marine ecosystem. They are amazing and mysterious animals which have captured the public’s attention and imagination for centuries.

There are at least 20 species of marine mammals found in our waters seasonally or year-round. These animals come here to feed, mate and raise their young. This makes our waters an important habitat to these animals and yet we only have a general understanding of where and when they are found. For most species, we have very little information on food sources they may be utilizing, population numbers or what impacts our activities have on them. The main reason for this lack of understanding is that, for many species, very little research has been conducted. However, a flourishing whale watching industry tells us that they are regular visitors to our waters and we must protect them.

Click on the links below to learn more:

• Want to know more about cetacean and pinniped biology? Visit our species profiles pages to learn more about the amazing species which inhabit our watersDo you know what species you’ve encountered? Check out our species identification key.
• Found a term that you don’t understand? Any words underlined on any of our pages are defined in the glossary.