Calambokidis et at: Distribution and abundance of marine mammals off the northern Washington coast 



575 



125=0'0"W 

 I 



Vancouver 

 Island 



Barkley 

 Sound 



Pinnipeds 



• Northern Fur Seal 

  Northern Sea Lion 



* Sea Otter 



a Elephant Seal 



+ Harbor Seal 



 California Sea Lion 



La Perouse 

 Bank 





Strait of 

 I Juan de Fuca 



Cape 

 Flattery 



Olympic 

 Peninsula 



1 



Sanctuary Boundary 



Figure 7 



Locations of pinnipeds and sea otters {Enhydra lutris) seen during ship surveys off 

 the northern Washington coast between 1995 and 2002. 



(<100 m). Gray whales and sea otters were seen in the 

 shallowest water of all species with average water depths 

 of just 20 and 22 m. respectively; they also were the only 

 two species for which sightings averaged less than 10 km 

 from shore. The three other species — harbor porpoise, 

 California sea lions, and northern sea lions (JEumetopias 

 jubatus) — were seen in slightly deeper waters (averag- 

 ing 34 to 91 m) and farther from shore (averaging 11 to 

 23 km). The five species that were predominantly found 

 at mid-shelf depths (mean depths at 100-200 m) were 

 humpback whales, killer whales, Dall's porpoises, harbor 



seals, and minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). 

 Species seen far from shore (>40 km) and also in deepest 

 waters (>200 m) included Pacific white-sided dolphins, 

 Risso's dolphins, elephant seals, and northern fur seals. 

 All of these species are known to feed along the conti- 

 nental slope or off the shelf. 



Distances from the shelf break for different species 

 did not fall into as clear a pattern as water depth and 

 distance from shore (Table 9). This disparity may be 

 the result of the varied habitat (with canyons cutting 

 through the study area) and the lack of much effort off 



