Sea mammals.

Abstract

The marine mammal fauna of the Hudson and James bays are low-arctic to high-artic in character and includes 5 phocid species: ringed seal Phoca hispida, bearded seal Erignathus barbatus, harbour seal P. vitulina, harp seal P. groenlandica and hooded seal Cystophora cristata. The 1st 3 are resident, the last 2 visitors outside their breeding seasons. Walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, is resident. Three species of arctic whales, bowhead Balaena mysticetus, white whale Delphinapterus leucas and narwhal Monodon monoceros occur and are migratory. The temperate-water minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata regularly enters Hudson Strait, as well as the predatory killer whale Orcinus orca.-from Author