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Whale Species in Canada

Article by R. Reeves

Published Online February 7, 2006

Last Edited October 25, 2024

Whale is the common name for large marine mammals of the order Cetartiodactyla (formerly Cetacea). They are subdivided into the Mysticeti, or baleen whales, and Odontoceti, or toothed whales. Smaller kinds of toothed whales are called dolphins or porpoises. Thirty-five whale species are found at least occasionally in Canadian waters — 9 species of baleen whales, and 26 species of toothed whales (mostly dolphins and porpoises). The commercial pursuit of whales was significant in early European exploration of Canada (see Whaling). Since the end of commercial whaling in Canada in 1972, whale watching has become popular. Whales found in Canada range in size from about 60 kg for the harbour porpoise to well over 100 tonnes for the blue whale, making it the largest animal ever known.

Humpback Whale

Whale Species in Canada

Baleen Whales

Common Name	Scientific Name	Ocean(s)
Blue whale	Balaenoptera musculus	Atlantic, Pacific
Bowhead whale	Balaena mysticetus	Arctic
Common minke whale	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	Atlantic, Pacific
Fin whale	Balaenoptera physalus	Atlantic, Pacific
Grey whale	Eschrichtius robustus	Pacific
Humpback whale	Megaptera novaeangliae	Atlantic, Pacific
North Atlantic right whale	Eubalaena glacialis	Atlantic
North Pacific right whale	Eubalaena japonica	Pacific
Sei whale	Balaenoptera borealis	Atlantic, Pacific

Toothed Whales

Common Name	Scientific Name	Ocean(s)
Atlantic white-sided dolphin	Lagenorhynchus acutus	Atlantic
Baird’s beaked whale	Berardius bairdii	Pacific
Beluga	Delphinapterus leucas	Arctic, Atlantic
Blainville’s beaked whale	Mesoplodon densirostris	Atlantic
Common bottlenose dolphin	Tursiops truncatus	Atlantic, Pacific
Common dolphin	Delphinus delphis	Atlantic, Pacific
Cuvier’s beaked whale	Ziphius cavirostris	Atlantic, Pacific
Dall’s porpoise	Phocoenoides dalli	Pacific
Dwarf sperm whale	Kogia sima	Pacific
Harbour porpoise	Phocoena phocoena	Atlantic, Pacific
Hubbs’ beaked whale	Mesoplodon carlhubbsi	Pacific
Killer whale (Orca)	Orcinus orca	Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific
Long-finned pilot whale	Globicephala melas	Atlantic
Narwhal	Monodon monoceros	Arctic
Northern bottlenose whale	Hyperoodon ampullatus	Atlantic
Northern right whale dolphin	Lissodelphis borealis	Pacific
Pacific white-sided dolphin	Lagenorhynchus obliquidens	Pacific
Pygmy sperm whale	Kogia breviceps	Atlantic, Pacific
Risso’s dolphin	Grampus griseus	Atlantic, Pacific
Short-finned pilot whale	Globicephala macrorhynchus	Pacific
Sowerby’s beaked whale	Mesoplodon bidens	Atlantic
Sperm whale	Physeter macrocephalus	Atlantic, Pacific
Stejneger’s beaked whale	Mesoplodon stejnegeri	Pacific
Striped dolphin	Stenella coeruleoalba	Atlantic, Pacific
True’s beaked whale	Mesoplodon mirus	Atlantic
White-beaked dolphin	Lagenorhynchus albirostris	Atlantic

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Cetartiodactyla

Suborders

Mysticeti and Odontoceti