The Bight has one of the highest diversities of marine mammals and sea turtles reported anywhere in the United States, and supports many threatened and endangered species. Studies by the Okeanos Foundation have demonstrated that the Bight is a critical development habitat for the highly endangered Atlantic (Kemp's) ridley turtle, as well as a major feeding area for leatherback, green, and loggerhead sea turtles. The Bight is also a significant wintering habitat for the growing population of harbor seals and for a smaller though increasing number of other northern Atlantic seals such as grey, harp, and hooded seals, expanding their ranges to the south. Finback, humpback, and minke whales utilize these waters frequently, and sperm whales are regularly sighted in the late spring. The critically endangered right whale migrates through the area and, on occasion, feeds in the Bight. Dolphin species, including common, bottlenosed, white-sided, and striped, as well as pilot whales, are often encountered in these waters. (Additional detail on these species is in the endangered species chapter).

Marine Mammals of the New York Bight. (Status as supplied by Okeanos Research Foundation, 1994)

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME	PROTECTION	FAMILY	NYB-STAT.*
Antillean beaked whale	Mesoplodon europeaus	MMP	Ziphiidae	UNK
Atlantic pilot whale	Globicephala melaena	MMP	Delphinidae (dolphins)	A
Atlantic white-sided dolphin	Lagenorhynchus acutus	MMP	Delphinidae (dolphins)	A
Beluga	Delphinapterus leucas	MMP	Monodontidae	R
Blue whale	Balaenoptera musculus	E	Balaenopteridae (rorquals)	"R,S"
Bottle-nosed dolphin	Tursiops truncatus	MMP	Delphinidae (dolphins)	"A,S"
Common dolphin	Delphinus delphis	MMP	Delphinidae (dolphins)	A
Dense-beaked whale	Mesoplodon densirostris	MMP	Ziphiidae	UNK
Fin whale	Balaenoptera physalus	E	Balaenopteridae (rorquals)	A
Goosebeaked whale	Ziphius cavirostris	MMP	Ziphiidae	UNK
Grampus	Grampus griseus	MMP	Delphinidae (dolphins)	A
Grey seal	Halichoerus grypus	MMP	Phocidae	"C,S"
Harbor porpoise	Phocoena phocoena	E	Phocoenidae (porpoise)	"I,S"
Harbor seal	Phoca vitulina	MMP	Phocidae	"A,ES"
Harp seal	Phoca groenlandica	MMP	Phocidae	"I,S"
Hooded seal	Cystophora cristata	MMP	Phocidae	"U,S"
Humpback whale	Megaptera novaeangliae	E	Balaenopteridae (rorquals)	"C,S"
Killer whale	Orcinus orca	MMP	Delphinidae	R
Minke whale	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	MMP	Balaenopteridae (rorquals)	A
Northern right whale	Eubalaena glacialis	E	Balaenidae (right whales)	"R,S"
Pygmy sperm whale	Kogia breviceps	MMP	Physeteridae	"C,UNK"
Ringed seal	Phoca hispida	MMP	Phocidae	"U,S"
Sei whale	Baleanoptera borealis	E	Balaenopteridae (rorquals)	"A,S"
Sperm whale	Physeter catodon	E	Physeteridae	"C,S"
Spotted dolphin	Stenella plagiodon /attenuata	MMP	Delphinidae (dolphins)	"A,S"
Striped dolphin	Stenella coeruleoalba	MMP	Delphinidae (dolphins)	"A,S"
True's beaked whale	Mesoplodon mirus	MMP	Ziphiidae	UNK

ES=Extended seasonal

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