Ten US states have designated an official state marine mammal, formalising a cultural and ecological connection between coastal states and the whales, dolphins, manatees and seals that live in their waters. It’s a much shorter list than state birds (all 50 states) or state insects (48 states). Marine mammals are politically complicated symbols, often tied to hunting history, conservation urgency, and economic interests around fishing and shipping, which helps explain why only states with a significant coastline have picked one, and why several coastal states still have not.
California was first, designating the California gray whale in 1975. Florida followed within months, with the West Indian manatee. A slow trickle of state marine mammal designations rolled through the following decades, most recently Rhode Island’s harbor seal in 2016. Three states share the same species: the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (Georgia, Massachusetts, and South Carolina as migratory marine mammal). South Carolina is the only state with two designations, pairing the bottlenose dolphin with the right whale.
This guide covers every US state marine mammal in detail, including when each was adopted, what the species is like in the wild, why the state chose it, and how each population is faring today. Several of these species are among the most endangered marine mammals on Earth. For more state animal symbols, see our guides to state mammals, state birds, state reptiles, state dog breeds and state insects.
Key facts about US state marine mammals
- 10 US states have designated an official state marine mammal: Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Washington.
- 11 total designations because South Carolina has two (bottlenose dolphin as state marine mammal, right whale as state migratory marine mammal).
- First US state marine mammal: California’s gray whale, 1975 (the same year Florida designated its manatee).
- Most recent: Rhode Island’s harbor seal, 2016.
- Most shared state marine mammal: the North Atlantic right whale, designated by Georgia (1985), Massachusetts (1980) and South Carolina (2009).
- Most endangered state marine mammal: the North Atlantic right whale (fewer than 350 individuals survive).
- Largest state marine mammal: the humpback whale (Hawaii), up to 16 metres and 36 tonnes; the bowhead whale (Alaska) reaches 18-20 metres.
- Smallest state marine mammal: Rhode Island’s harbor seal, averaging 1.5-1.8 metres and 55-170 kg.
- Longest-lived state marine mammal: Alaska’s bowhead whale, documented to live over 200 years, the longest-lived mammal on Earth.
How coastal states pick their marine mammals
State marine mammal designations come from the usual state legislative process, but the underlying rationale is almost always tied to one or more of three things: whaling history, current conservation status, or the species’ reliable presence in state waters. Several of the designations include explicit conservation messaging baked into the statute itself, raising the species’ profile at a time when its population was declining.
Three common rationales show up in these designations:
- Coastal ecology and identity. Florida’s manatee, Hawaii’s humpback, California’s gray whale, Washington’s orca, and Alaska’s bowhead are each so tied to their state’s coastal waters that the pick effectively writes itself.
- Whaling history. Massachusetts’s right whale designation honours the species targeted by New England’s historic whaling fleet (which killed them by the thousands), now a ghost of that history with fewer than 350 individuals left.
- Conservation advocacy. Rhode Island’s harbor seal, Alabama’s West Indian manatee, and South Carolina’s pair of marine mammal designations were all partly driven by state conservation organisations using the state-symbol designation as a public-awareness tool.
Many US coastal states still have no state marine mammal, including states with long coastlines and abundant marine mammal populations: Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Oregon, North Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana. In most cases, legislative bills have been proposed but never passed, often because of competing proposals between different species (in Louisiana, for example, bills have been introduced for both the bottlenose dolphin and the West Indian manatee).
State marine mammals at a glance
| State | State marine mammal | Scientific name | Year adopted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | West Indian Manatee | Trichechus manatus | 2009 |
| Alaska | Bowhead Whale | Balaena mysticetus | 1983 |
| California | California Gray Whale | Eschrichtius robustus | 1975 |
| Florida | West Indian Manatee | Trichechus manatus | 1975 |
| Georgia | North Atlantic Right Whale | Eubalaena glacialis | 1985 |
| Hawaii | Humpback Whale | Megaptera novaeangliae | 1979 |
| Massachusetts | North Atlantic Right Whale | Eubalaena glacialis | 1980 |
| Rhode Island | Harbor Seal | Phoca vitulina | 2016 |
| South Carolina | Bottlenose Dolphin | Tursiops truncatus | 2009 |
| South Carolina | North Atlantic Right Whale (migratory) | Eubalaena glacialis | 2009 |
| Washington | Orca | Orcinus orca | 2005 |
State marine mammals by species group
Whales (5 designations)
Whales dominate the US state marine mammal list. Alaska’s bowhead whale, California’s gray whale, Georgia and Massachusetts’s North Atlantic right whale (and South Carolina’s migratory right whale designation), and Hawaii’s humpback whale together represent five of the eleven designations. All five are baleen whales rather than toothed whales. Three of the five populations (right whale, bowhead, North Pacific gray whale) are considered endangered or critically endangered.
Manatees (2 designations)
Alabama and Florida both picked the West Indian manatee. Manatees are slow-moving, almost circular herbivorous aquatic mammals found in warm shallow coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. They’re more closely related to elephants than to any other mammal, a lineage that has puzzled zoologists since their classification. Both Alabama and Florida populations are federally listed, and both states actively protect known manatee aggregation sites (especially warm-water springs that manatees use as winter refuges).
Orca (1 designation)
Washington’s orca is the only killer whale on the list. Despite being commonly called “killer whales,” orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family, not true whales. Washington’s designation specifically recognises the Southern Resident Killer Whales, a distinct endangered population of around 75 individuals that lives in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, feeding primarily on Chinook salmon. They’re among the most studied and most threatened marine mammals in the world.
Dolphins (1 designation)
South Carolina designated the bottlenose dolphin as state marine mammal in 2009. Bottlenose dolphins are probably the most familiar cetacean species in the world, common across all temperate and tropical seas. South Carolina’s coastal bottlenose dolphins are famous for “strand feeding,” a rare cooperative hunting technique where groups of dolphins drive schools of fish onto muddy banks, then beach themselves briefly to scoop up the stranded prey before sliding back into the water.
Seals (1 designation)
Rhode Island’s harbor seal (2016) is the newest and smallest state marine mammal. Harbor seals are true (earless) seals, common along Rhode Island’s coastline from autumn through early spring. They haul out on rocky ledges and beaches in Narragansett Bay and along Block Island, with peak population of around 4,000 individuals off the Rhode Island coast each winter. They’re one of the few state marine mammals you can reliably watch from shore.
The complete state-by-state guide
Alabama, West Indian Manatee
Alabama designated the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) as state marine mammal in 2009. Manatees are not year-round Alabama residents in large numbers, but they do migrate up the Mobile Bay system each summer following warm water, and the designation explicitly aimed to raise public awareness and reduce boat-strike mortality. Manatees are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act (the West Indian manatee was downlisted from endangered to threatened in 2017). Adults reach 3-4 metres and weigh 400-600 kg. They’re slow-moving herbivores that graze on seagrass for 6-8 hours a day, and their closest living relative is the elephant, not any aquatic animal. Alabama’s designation came from a campaign organised by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and conservation groups working along the Mobile Bay coast.
Alaska, Bowhead Whale
Alaska designated the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) as state marine mammal in 1983. Bowheads are Arctic specialists: the only baleen whales that spend their entire lives in polar waters. Their massive, reinforced skulls (making up about a third of their body length) can break through sea ice up to 60 cm thick to create breathing holes. Adult bowheads reach 18-20 metres and weigh around 100 tonnes, making them the second-heaviest animal on Earth after the blue whale. Remarkably, bowheads are also the longest-lived mammals known, with confirmed individuals over 200 years old, identified by 19th-century harpoon fragments embedded in their blubber. For Alaska’s Iñupiat and Siberian Yupik communities, the bowhead has been culturally central for thousands of years, and a small regulated subsistence hunt continues today as part of aboriginal whaling rights recognised by the International Whaling Commission.
California, California Gray Whale
California designated the California gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) as state marine mammal in 1975, the first US state marine mammal designation. Gray whales undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal on Earth: every year the Eastern North Pacific population travels roughly 16,000-22,000 km round-trip between Arctic feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi seas and calving lagoons in Baja California, Mexico, passing within sight of the California coast on both legs. The winter “whale watch” season along California’s central and southern coast, particularly from Monterey and San Diego, is one of the most reliable marine-mammal spectacles in the US. Adult gray whales reach 14-15 metres and weigh up to 40 tonnes. The Eastern North Pacific population has recovered from near-extinction (reduced to around 2,000 in the 1880s by commercial whaling) to around 20,000 today, though periodic unusual mortality events have cut into the population in recent years.
Florida, Manatee
Florida designated the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) as state marine mammal in 1975, the same year California picked the gray whale. Florida is the heart of the US manatee range, home to around 7,500 individuals in the peninsula’s springs, rivers and coastal waters. Florida manatees famously cluster around warm-water sources in winter, including natural springs like Crystal River and Three Sisters Springs, as well as the warm-water outflows from coastal power plants (a quirky modern habitat that has become essential to manatee survival since the species cannot tolerate water below 20°C for long). Boat strikes remain the leading cause of manatee mortality in Florida, with many adults bearing propeller scars that researchers use to identify individuals. A 2021 mass starvation event caused by seagrass die-off in the Indian River Lagoon killed over 1,100 manatees and led Florida to reconsider its classification of the species.
Georgia, North Atlantic Right Whale
Georgia designated the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) as state marine mammal in 1985. Georgia’s coastal waters, specifically off the sea islands between Savannah and Brunswick, are the primary calving grounds for the entire species. Every year between December and March, pregnant female right whales swim south from Atlantic Canada feeding grounds to give birth in the warm, calm waters off Georgia (and northern Florida). Adult right whales are 14-17 metres long, weigh up to 70 tonnes, and are famously slow swimmers, which made them the “right” whale to hunt during the 18th and 19th century whaling era (whalers called them right because they floated after being killed). Fewer than 350 individuals survive today. Ship strikes and fishing-gear entanglement are the leading mortality causes, and every calving season, shipping restrictions are imposed along the Georgia and Florida coast to reduce vessel collisions.
Hawaii, Humpback Whale
Hawaii designated the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) as state marine mammal in 1979. Hawaii is the primary winter calving and breeding ground for North Pacific humpback whales, which migrate from Alaskan feeding grounds to Hawaii’s warm, sheltered waters each November through April. Around 10,000-12,000 humpbacks visit Hawaii each winter, with the highest densities in the Au’au Channel between Maui, Lana’i and Moloka’i. Humpbacks reach 14-16 metres and weigh up to 36 tonnes. They’re famous for spectacular surface behaviours: breaching (full-body leaps out of the water), tail-slapping, and pectoral-fin slapping, all of which are routinely observed from Hawaii’s coastline and charter boats. They’re also renowned for their complex songs, sung by males on the breeding grounds, which can last 20 minutes and travel underwater for hundreds of kilometres. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary protects the species throughout Hawaiian waters.
Massachusetts, North Atlantic Right Whale
Massachusetts designated the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) as state marine mammal in 1980, five years before Georgia picked the same species. Massachusetts’s Cape Cod Bay is a critical feeding area for right whales each spring, when enormous aggregations of copepods (tiny crustaceans that are the whale’s only food) bloom in the bay. Hundreds of whales at a time have been observed feeding in Cape Cod Bay in April, skimming copepods through their massive baleen plates. Massachusetts has a long, complicated history with right whales: New England whalers hunted them from the 1600s to the early 1900s, contributing heavily to their near-extinction. The state’s choice of right whale as state marine mammal has always been partly penitential, a symbolic commitment to protect a species the state’s own industry helped destroy. Ship strikes in Massachusetts waters remain a leading cause of right whale mortality.
Rhode Island, Harbor Seal
Rhode Island designated the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) as state marine mammal in 2016, making it the most recent US designation in this category. Harbor seals are the most common seal species along the US Atlantic coast, with around 4,000 individuals using Rhode Island waters as winter haul-out habitat each year. They’re small by state marine mammal standards (adults average 1.5-1.8 metres and 55-170 kg) but extraordinarily adaptable. Rhode Island harbor seals are not year-round residents: they arrive in September from Canadian and Maine breeding colonies, then depart again in May. Popular haul-out spots include Rome Point, Narragansett Bay and Block Island, where winter seal-watching boat tours have become a small but growing tourism industry. The designation came after a campaign led by Save The Bay, a Narragansett Bay-focused environmental organisation.
South Carolina, Bottlenose Dolphin and North Atlantic Right Whale
South Carolina is the only US state with two state marine mammal designations, both passed in 2009. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is state marine mammal, while the North Atlantic right whale is state migratory marine mammal, honouring the species’ seasonal presence offshore. South Carolina’s coastal waters host year-round bottlenose dolphin populations, particularly around Charleston Harbor and the ACE Basin estuary. The state is also the global stronghold for “strand feeding,” a cooperative hunting behaviour in which groups of 2-6 dolphins drive schools of mullet onto muddy banks and briefly beach themselves to scoop up the stranded fish. Only a few hundred dolphins in the world are known to strand feed, and a significant proportion of them live in South Carolina. The right whale designation recognises the species’ winter migration along the South Carolina coast en route to Georgia and Florida calving grounds.
Washington, Orca
Washington designated the orca (Orcinus orca), also known as the killer whale, as state marine mammal in 2005. Washington’s designation recognises the Southern Resident Killer Whales, a distinct, endangered population of orcas that lives year-round in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. Southern Residents number only around 75 individuals, divided into three pods (J, K and L), and feed almost exclusively on Chinook salmon. The population’s decline has been driven by a combination of salmon shortages, underwater noise pollution from shipping, and contamination from legacy PCBs and other pollutants. Orcas are technically the largest member of the dolphin family (Delphinidae), not true whales, despite the common name. Southern Resident orcas are among the most studied marine mammals on Earth, with decades of research at the Center for Whale Research making this one of the best-documented cetacean populations anywhere. The distinctive saddle-patch markings behind each orca’s dorsal fin allow researchers to identify individuals from photographs.
US states without a state marine mammal (despite having coastline)
Several US states with significant coastline have no official state marine mammal. Along the Atlantic: Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina. Along the Gulf: Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas (though Mississippi and Louisiana have state water mammal designations for the bottlenose dolphin in other legislative contexts). Along the Pacific: Oregon. Most of these states have fielded bills at various times; in Louisiana, a bill proposing the West Indian manatee as state marine mammal was introduced in 2019 but failed. Oregon has twice considered the gray whale. New Jersey has considered bottlenose dolphin. None have succeeded, typically because of legislative logjams over competing proposals.
Non-coastal states (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming) predictably have no state marine mammal, though Minnesota has an extensive Lake Superior coastline and could theoretically designate a freshwater species.
Notable firsts and quirky facts about US state marine mammals
- First US state marine mammal: California’s gray whale and Florida’s manatee, both 1975.
- Most recent: Rhode Island’s harbor seal, 2016.
- Only state with two state marine mammal designations: South Carolina (bottlenose dolphin and right whale, both 2009).
- Most shared state marine mammal: North Atlantic right whale (Georgia, Massachusetts and South Carolina).
- Longest-lived state marine mammal: Alaska’s bowhead whale (200+ years documented).
- Rarest state marine mammal: North Atlantic right whale (fewer than 350 individuals).
- Most endangered state marine mammal population: Washington’s Southern Resident orcas (around 75 individuals).
- Only state marine mammal that is technically a dolphin: Washington’s orca.
- Only state marine mammal whose closest relative is an elephant: Alabama and Florida’s manatee.
- Only state marine mammal that undergoes a 22,000 km annual migration: California’s gray whale.
- Only state marine mammal that breaks through Arctic sea ice with its skull: Alaska’s bowhead whale.
- Only state marine mammal that cooperatively beaches itself to feed: South Carolina’s bottlenose dolphin.
Frequently asked questions about US state marine mammals
How many US states have a state marine mammal?
Ten US states have designated an official state marine mammal: Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Washington. South Carolina has two designations (bottlenose dolphin and right whale), bringing the total to eleven.
Which state was first to pick a state marine mammal?
California and Florida both designated their state marine mammals in 1975. California picked the gray whale, Florida the West Indian manatee. Hawaii’s humpback whale followed in 1979, and Massachusetts’s right whale in 1980.
What is the most recent US state marine mammal designation?
Rhode Island’s harbor seal, designated in 2016, is the most recent US state marine mammal. Before that, South Carolina’s bottlenose dolphin and migratory right whale designations in 2009, and Alabama’s West Indian manatee (also 2009), were the most recent.
Which is the most shared US state marine mammal?
The North Atlantic right whale is the most shared, designated by Georgia (1985), Massachusetts (1980) and South Carolina (2009 as migratory marine mammal). The West Indian manatee is shared by Alabama and Florida. All other state marine mammals are single-state picks.
Why don’t more coastal states have a state marine mammal?
Several factors. State marine mammal bills tend to get stuck in committee when competing species are proposed simultaneously, which has repeatedly happened in Maine, New Jersey, Louisiana and Oregon. In some states the question has never been seriously raised. Unlike state birds or state insects, marine mammal designations come with political complications around fishing, shipping and whaling histories that slow down what would otherwise be low-stakes legislation.
Which US state marine mammals are endangered?
Most of them. The North Atlantic right whale (Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina) is critically endangered with fewer than 350 individuals. Washington’s Southern Resident orca population is endangered. Alaska’s bowhead whale is listed as endangered (though recovering). Florida’s and Alabama’s West Indian manatee is federally threatened. Hawaii’s humpback whale has recovered significantly and was delisted from endangered status in 2016. Only Rhode Island’s harbor seal and South Carolina’s bottlenose dolphin have relatively stable populations.
What is the largest US state marine mammal?
By length, Alaska’s bowhead whale is the largest at 18-20 metres. By mass, Alaska’s bowhead and Hawaii’s humpback are close, with bowheads reaching around 100 tonnes. Both are considered among the most massive animals on Earth, second only to the blue whale (which is not any state’s state marine mammal).
Is the orca really a whale or a dolphin?
The orca is technically the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae), not a true whale. The name “killer whale” is an inversion of an older term, “whale killer,” that 18th-century sailors used because orcas were observed hunting much larger whales. Washington’s designation of the orca as state marine mammal is therefore a slight taxonomic curiosity, though it doesn’t meaningfully change anything about the law or the animal. Orcas are the apex predator of the oceans and the largest dolphin, with adult males reaching 9 metres.
How is a state marine mammal different from a state mammal?
State marine mammals are specifically aquatic mammals (whales, dolphins, manatees, seals, orcas) designated in a separate category from a state’s general state mammal or state animal. Several states have both: Florida, for example, has the Florida panther as state animal and the West Indian manatee as state marine mammal. See our full state mammals guide for the complete picture of US state mammal designations.
Can a state have multiple state marine mammals?
Yes, though only South Carolina currently does, having designated the bottlenose dolphin as state marine mammal and the North Atlantic right whale as state migratory marine mammal, both in 2009. No US state has designated more than two marine mammals.
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