Marine Life

From whales to sea lions, Oregon's ocean is teeming with watchable wildlife, and our beaches offer excellent tidepooling. 

Types of Marine Life

A group of stellar sea lions sit on a rocky outcropping at Orford reef

Oregon has two sea lion species and three seals. The Steller sea lion, Northern elephant seal and Pacific harbor seal are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species. 

There are about 80 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises with 10 of those in the waters off Oregon's coast. These include the mighty gray whale, the awe-inspiring killer whale, and the charming and intelligent bottlenose dolphin.

Sea turtles are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for conservation and recovery of sea turtles in the marine environment, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is lead on conservation and recovery of sea turtles on nesting beaches.