Maps: Where They Blow

Canadian waters are rich in whale species, with more than 30 different types inhabiting the waters off our 200,000 kilometres of coastline. Even members of the same species found in different locations have developed distinct behaviours. Virtually every one is threatened or endangered 1. KILLER WHALE

Orcinus orca Location: Northeast Pacific, northern resident Population (2017): 309 Risk status: threatened Threats: shrinking salmon stock, pollution, noise; natural threats include their small size and slow growth

2. KILLER WHALE

Orcinus orca Location: Northeast Pacific, southern resident (see article page 22) Population (2018): 74 Risk status: endangered Threats: shrinking salmon stock, pollution, noise, ship strikes, climate change; natural threats include inbreeding, late sexual maturity, low birth rates

3. KILLER WHALE

Orcinus orca Location: Northeast Pacific, offshore Population (2013): 300 Risk status: threatened Threats: prey decline (dogfish, chinook salmon and Pacific halibut), contaminants and toxic spills, chronic and acute acoustic disturbances; often gathers in large groups of 120 or more, so oil spills and underwater explosions are particularly dangerous

4. KILLER WHALE

Orcinus orca Location: Northeast Pacific, Bigg’s/transient Population (2009): 122 (mature individuals) Risk status: threatened Threats: low reproductive rate (one calf every five years), acoustic disturbances, pollutants, toxic spills, collisions with vessels, decreased prey availability

5. BLUE WHALE

Location: Pacific Population: unknown Risk status: endangered Threats: collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution

6. RIGHT WHALE

Eubalaena japonica Location: North Pacific Population: 20 to 30 (not sighted in Canadian waters in 50 years) Risk status: endangered Threats: vessel strikes, entanglement, noise pollution

7. GREY WHALE

Eschrichtius robustus Location: Eastern North Pacific Population (2016): 20,000 Risk status: special concern Threats: collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear; coastal industries such as salt extraction, oil exploration, mining can lead to toxic spills and noise pollution that ruin breeding and feeding habitats

8. HUMPBACK WHALE

Megaptera novaeangliae Location: North Pacific & North Atlantic Risk status: special concern Threats: vessel strikes, entanglement, toxic spills, declining prey, noise pollution

9. FIN WHALE

Location: Pacific Population (2004): 2,500 Risk status: threatened Threats: vessel strikes, acute and chronic noise pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution, climate change

10. SEI WHALE

Location: Pacific Population: after no reported sightings in Canadian waters in more than 50 years, 5 were spotted in summer 2018 Risk status: endangered Threats: hunted until 1975, the species has not been able to recover since; threats to remaining individuals include vessel strikes, noise, entanglements, climate change

11. COMMON MINKE WHALE

Balaenoptera acutorostrata Location: North Pacific Population (2005): 475 Risk status: not at risk Threats: whaling, entanglement, noise, vessel strikes

12. KILLER WHALE

Orcinus orca Location: Northwest Atlantic and eastern Arctic Population (2015): <1,000 mature individuals Risk status: special concern Threats: acoustic disturbances, contaminants, toxic spills; in the Arctic killer whales are hunted

13. NORTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALE

Hyperoodon ampullatus Location: Davis Straitbaffin Bay-labrador Sea Population: unknown Risk status: special concern Threats: acoustic disturbances, contaminants, toxic spills

14. NORTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALE

Hyperoodon ampullatus Location: Scotian Shelf Population (2011): 164 Risk status: endangered Threats: entanglement, oil and gas activities, acoustic disturbance, contaminants, and vessel strikes; anthropogenic (human-caused) noise is of particular concern because northern bottlenose whales are found near oil and gas fields to the south of Nova Scotia

15. BELUGA WHALE

Location: Cumberland Sound Population (2017): <1,000 Risk Status: threatened Threats: acoustic disturbance, climate change, pollution, predation by killer whales and polar bears

16. BELUGA WHALE

Delphinapterus leucas Location: Baffin Bay, eastern High Arctic Population: unknown Risk status: special concern Threats: overexploitation, climate change, pollution

17. BELUGA WHALE

Location: Eastern Hudson Bay Population: unknown Risk status: endangered Threats: overhunting, habitat alterations (e.g., river damming), climate change, noise pollution

18. BELUGA WHALE

Location: St. Lawrence Estuary Population (2014): 583 mature individuals (est.) Risk status: endangered Threats: habitat loss and degradation, strikes by small vessels, entanglement, prey competition with commercial fisheries, chemical and biological contamination from heavy marine traffic

19. BELUGA WHALE

Delphinapterus leucas Location: Ungava Bay Population (2014): <100 Risk status: endangered Threats: hunting, changes to habitats, noise, dredging, shipping and other industrial activity

20. BELUGA WHALE

Location: Western Hudson Bay Population: unknown Risk status: special concern Threats: overhunting, climate change

21. BLUE WHALE

Balaenoptera musculus Location: Atlantic Population (2014): <250 mature individuals Risk status: endangered Threats: noise, food supply, pollution, ship strikes, whale-watching

22. BOWHEAD WHALE

Balaena mysticetus Location: Bering–chukchi– Beaufort Population (2009): >10,000 Risk status: special concern Threats: climate change, disturbance from ships, offshore oil and gas development, hunting

23. BOWHEAD WHALE

Balaena mysticetus Location: Eastern Canada–west Greenland Population (2009): 6,000 Risk status: special concern Threats: climate change, disturbance from shipping, offshore oil and gas development

24. FIN WHALE

Location: Atlantic Population: unknown Risk status: special concern Threats: noise from navigation, seismic and sonar exploration and development, decline in prey, toxic spills, ship strikes, climate change

25. GREY WHALE

Location: Atlantic Population: 0, since the 18th century Risk status: extirpated

26. RIGHT WHALE

Eubalaena glacialis Location: North Atlantic Population (2011): 411 Risk status: endangered Threats: vessel strikes, entanglement, noise pollution

27. SOWERBY’S BEAKED WHALE

Mesoplodon bidens Location: Atlantic, Continental Slope Population: unknown Risk status: special concern Threats: entanglement; as a deep diver, it is extremely vulnerable to noise pollution

28. COMMON MINKE WHALE

Balaenoptera acutorostrata Location: North Atlantic Population: plentiful Risk Status: not at risk Threats: whaling, entanglement, noise, vessel strikes; there was a sharp rise in unexplained minke whale deaths in Atlantic Canada in 2018

29. SPERM WHALE

Location: Northwest Atlantic, Northwest Pacific Population: plentiful Risk status: not at risk Threats: pollution, entanglement, strikes

30. NARWHAL

Monodon monoceros Location: Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay Population (2014): 40,000 and 2,100 Risk status: special concern Threats: hunting, pollution, ship strikes (increasing traffic)