American Cetacean Society
10th International Conference - Whales without Borders
November 10-12, 2006 - Ventura, California

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS)

The mission of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries is to serve as the trustee for the nation's system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity and cultural legacy.

The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary http://channelislands.noaa.gov is one of 13 national marine sanctuaries and one national marine monument in the United States and its territories.  In 1980, a 1,252-square-nautical-mile portion of the Santa Barbara Channel was given a special protected status with the designation of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS).

The sanctuary is an area of national significance because of its exceptional natural beauty and resources. It encompasses the waters that surround the five northern Channel Islands:  Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara Islands, extending from mean high tide to six nautical miles offshore around each of these islands.

State marine zones within the sanctuary include ten marine reserves and two marine conversation areas, encompassing approximately 102 square nautical miles of near shore sanctuary habitats.  The reserves prohibit all forms of take, including recreational and commercial fishing and diving.  The conservation areas are open to recreational fishing and commercial lobster fishing.  Alternatives are now being considered to incorporate and extend state marine zones into deeper water habitats in the sanctuary. http://www.channelislands.noaa.gov/marineres/main.html

The sanctuary participates in research projects on sea birds, abalone restoration, kelp forest monitoring, and many others.  CINMS research efforts focus on evaluating ecosystem health, collecting data on living marine resources, assessing the impact of human activities, implementing effective resource management strategies, and increasing understanding of the importance of the sanctuary.

CINMS is home to a rich and diverse community of marine life. The shoreline topography and currents in this region facilitate mixing of cool, nutrient rich waters from the north with warmer waters from the south, creating a biologic transition zone that brims with life.

About 30 species of cetaceans have been observed in the sanctuary and 18 of these are considered residents.  CINMS also provides habitat for breeding populations of four species of pinnipeds (California sea lions, northern fur seals, harbor seals and northern elephant seals).

Toothed whales and dolphins include:

• Bottlenose dolphin,
• Common dolphin,
• Dall’s porpoise,
• Killer whale (orca),
• Pacific white-sided dolphin, 
• Risso’s dolphin,
• Sperm whale

Baleen whales include: 

• Blue whale,
• Fin whale,
• Gray whale,
• Humpback whale,
• Minke whale

The largest concentration of blue whales in the world may be seen in the summer season feeding off massive numbers of krill in the upwelling of local coastal waters.  Photo identification research is performed each year off of California on the approximately 2,000 blue whales, and 1,000 humpback whales.

The sanctuary’s Channel Island Naturalist Corps http://channelislands.noaa.gov/edu/edu_natc.html volunteers provide interpretation on local whale watch and island trip vessels, and record sightings of these magnificent mammals in a special database http://www.cisanctuary.org/mammals/.

For specific descriptions about each of these species please see the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Encyclopedia of the Sanctuary http://marinelife.noaa.gov/.