Marine Mammals
of South Carolina
Tamanend's Bottlenose Dolphin
Photo Credit: Lauren Rust
Scientific Name: Tursiops erebennus
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
Pygmy Sperm Whale
Photo Credit: LITCAF
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
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) & 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
Photo Credit: NOAA
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
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