Marine mammals
of South Carolina
Atlantic bottlenose dolphin
Scientific Name: Tursiops truncatus
Habitat Distribution: New England/Mid-Atlantic
Lifespan: ~40 years
Size: (mass) 330 – 1,400 lbs; (length) 6.6 – 13 ft.
Diet: fish, squid, crustaceans
Predators: sharks; humans
Threats: entanglement/bycatch, human interaction, habitat degradation, noise, chemical contaminants, disease, biotoxins, vessel collisions
Photo Credit: Lauren Rust
Pygmy Sperm Whale
Scientific Name: Kogia breviceps
Habitat Distribution: New England/Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Islands, Southeast, West Coast
Lifespan: ~23 years
Size: (mass) 700 to 1,000 lbs (length) Up to 11.5 ft.
Diet: cephalopods, crustaceans, and fish
Predators: humans; orcas
Threats: Entanglement, Hunting (Indonesia, Japan, and Lesser Antilles), Vessel strikes, Marine debris, Ocean noise
Photo Credit: LITCAF
Humpback whale
Photo Credit: NOAA
Scientific Name: Megaptera novaeangliae
Habitat Distribution: Alaska, New England/Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Islands, Southeast, West Coast, Foreign
Lifespan: 80 to 90 years
Size: (mass) Up to 40 tons (length) Up to 60 ft.
Diet: filter-feed on small crustaceans (mostly krill) and small fish
Predators: humans; orcas; aggressive sharks
Threats: Entanglement in fishing gear, Vessel strikes, Vessel-based harassment
North-Atlantic Right Whale
Photo Credit: Center for Biological Diversity
Scientific Name: Eubalaena glacialis
Habitat Distribution: New England/Mid-Atlantic, Southeast
Lifespan: ~70 years
Size: (mass) 70 tons; (length) 45-52 ft.
Diet: zooplankton
Predators: orcas; humans
Threats: entanglement, noise, vessel strikes
Long-finned Pilot whale
Scientific Name: Globicephala melas
Habitat Distribution: New England/Mid-Atlantic, Southeast
Lifespan: (males) 35-45 years; (females) ~60 years
Size: (mass) 2,900 - 5,000 lbs; (length) 19-25 ft.
Diet: fish, cephalopods, crustaceans
Predators: Humans
Threats: Entanglement, Disease, Chemical contaminants, Ocean noise
Photo Credit: NOAA
Florida Manatee
Photo Credit: Marine Mammal Commission
Scientific Name: Trichechus manatus latirostris
Habitat Distribution: primarily Flordia; seen RI to TX
Lifespan: 50-60 years
Size: (mass) ~990 lbs; (length) ~11ft.
Diet: marine vegetation (plants)
Predators: Humans
Threats: boat strikes, entrapment, entanglement, loss of warm-water habitat, toxins, cold stress, human disturbance
North American River otter
Photo Credit: Chesapeake Bay Program
Scientific Name: Lontra canadensis
Habitat Distribution: land/rivers in North America
Lifespan: ~12 years
Size: (mass) 10 to 33 pounds; (length) 2.5 - 5 ft.
Diet: fish, frogs, crayfish, turtles, insects and some small mammals
Predators: bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, wolves, black bears, and foxes
Threats: water pollution, habitat destruction
American Mink
Scientific Name: Neovison vison
Habitat Distribution: freshwater systems in North America
Lifespan: 10-12 years
Size: (mass) 0.88-3.5 lbs; (length) 12 – 18 in.
Diet: muskrats, rabbits, mice, chipmunks, fish, snakes, frogs and birds
Predators: coyotes, bobcats, and birds of prey
Threats: habitat loss, water pollution
Photo Credit: Chuck Homler