Cetacean Strandings 
49 
Conclusions from the North Carolina stranding data, however, agree 
with information provided by other methods of study for species that 
are relatively well known. 
CONCLUSIONS 
North Carolina has the greatest diversity of cetaceans along the 
east coast of the United States. Twenty-six species have stranded along 
the North Carolina coast; four other species might inhabit state waters 
at least seasonally. Based on stranding records, 17 species appear 
to be year-round residents, although bull sperm whales leave the area 
during the warmer months. Seven species with boreal affinities migrate 
or wander southward into the area during the winter and spring months, 
and two species with austral affinities migrate northward into the area 
during the summer and fall months. The status of several species 
needs additional clarification, and as a matter of protocol, voucher 
material from deceased marine mammals should always be deposited 
in museum collections to attain that goal. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS — We thank Dr. James G. Mead for providing 
us with stranding data from North Carolina. Dave Lee and an anony- 
mous reviewer provided helpful comments on an earlier draft of the 
manuscript. Additional support was provided by the Department of 
Biological Sciences and Center for Marine Science Research (Contri- 
bution Number 51) of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. 
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