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Active and Closed Unusual Mortality Events

Since 1991, marine mammal unusual mortality events (UMEs) have been declared.

National

Table of Contents

Since 1991, 72 marine mammal unusual mortality events (UMEs) have been declared.

Active UMEs

UME No. Year Declared UME Name Species Body of Water/Location Cause
71 2021 Atlantic Florida Manatee Manatee Atlantic Ocean, Florida Malnutrition secondary to ecological factors (e.g. change in forage)
65 2018 Atlantic Minke Whale Minke whale Atlantic Ocean Suspect Human Interaction (Entanglement)/Infectious Disease
64 2017 North Atlantic Right Whale North Atlantic right whale

Atlantic Ocean, Canada, and U.S.

 Human Interaction (Vessel Strike/Rope Entanglement)
63 2017 Atlantic Humpback Whale Humpback whale Atlantic Ocean Suspect Human Interaction (Vessel Strike)

Nonactive UME's-Closure Pending

UME No.

Year Declared

UME Name

Species

Body of Water/Location

Cause
70 2019 Alaska Ice Seal Bearded, ringed, and spotted seal Bering and Chukchi Seas Undetermined
67 2018 Northeast Pinniped Harbor and gray seal Atlantic Ocean Infectious Disease

Closed UMEs

UME No. Year Declared UME Name Species Body of Water/ Location Number of Animals Date Range Cause
72 2022 Maine Pinniped Harbor and gray seal Atlantic Ocean 181 June 20 to July 20, 2022 Infectious Disease
69 2019 Northern Gulf of Mexico Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Northern Gulf of Mexico, Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana 337 February 1, 2019 to November 30, 2019 Ecological Factors
68 2019 West Coast Gray Whale Gray Whale Pacific Ocean 690 December 17, 2018 to November 9, 2023 Ecological Factors
66 2018 Southwest Florida Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico 183 July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 Biotoxin
62 2015 Guadalupe Fur Seal and Northern Fur Seal Guadalupe fur seal and northern fur seal Pacific Ocean, California, Oregon, and Washington 715 Guadalupe fur seals; 170 northern fur seals January 1, 2015 to September 2, 2021 Ecological factors
61 2015 Alaska and British
Columbia Large
Whale		 Fin 
and humpback
whale		 Pacific Ocean,
Gulf of Alaska,
United States;
British
Columbia,
Canada		 52 April 23, 2015, to
April 16, 2016		 Undetermined;
secondary
ecological
factors
60 2013 Mid-Atlantic
Bottlenose Dolphin		 Bottlenose dolphin Atlantic Ocean, New York to Florida ~1,650 July 1, 2013, to March
1, 2015		 Infectious disease
59 2013 Florida Indian River Lagoon Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Atlantic Ocean, Indian River Lagoon, Florida 79 January 9, 2013, to December 31, 2013 Ecological factors
58 2013 Florida East Coast Manatee Manatee Indian River Lagoon, Florida-East Coast 111 January 1 to December 26, 2013 Infectious disease secondary to ecological factors (e.g. change in forage)
57 2013 California Sea Lion California sea lion Pacific Ocean, California 8,122 January 1, 2013, to September 30, 2016 Ecological Factors
56 2012 Texas Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico, Texas 126 November 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012 Biotoxin
55 2011 Alaska Pinniped Bearded, ribbon, ringed, spotted seal, and walrus Bering and Chukchi Seas, Alaska ~657 May 1, 2011, to December 31, 2016 Undetermined
54 2011 Northeast Pinniped Gray and harbor seal Atlantic Ocean, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts 784 June 1, 2011, to November 15, 2012 Infectious Disease
53 2011 South Carolina Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Atlantic Ocean, South Carolina 37 February 27, 2011, to May 30, 2011 Undetermined
52 2011 Florida Manatee Manatee Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida 143 December 16, 2010, to February 13, 2011 Ecological Factors
51 2010 Florida St. Johns River Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin St. Johns River, Florida 23 May 24, 2010, to November 7, 2010 Undetermined
50 2010 Northern Gulf of Mexico Cetacean Bottlenose dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, spinner dolphin, melon-headed whale, sperm whale, pygmy sperm whale, dwarf sperm whale, pantropical spotted dolphin, Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale, minke whale, short-finned pilot whale, Risso’s dolphin, Blainville’s beaked whale, Clymene dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin Northern Gulf of Mexico, Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana 1,141 March 2010 to July 2014 Human Interaction
49 2010 Florida Manatee Manatee Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida ~529 January 11, 2010, to April 9, 2010 Ecological Factors
48 2009 Virginia Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Atlantic Ocean, Virginia 40 April 21, 2009, to June 30, 2009 Undetermined
47 2008 California Harbor Porpoise Harbor porpoise Pacific Ocean, California 170 May 1, 2008, to December 31, 2009 Ecological Factors
46 2008 Indian River Lagoon Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Atlantic Ocean, Indian River Lagoon, Florida 48 May 2, 2008, to September 4, 2008 Undetermined
45 2008 Mid-Atlantic Small Cetacean Short-beaked common dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey to North Carolina 35

January 1, 2008,

to

April 26, 2008

 Undetermined
44 2008 Texas Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico, Texas 113 February 1, 2008, to March 31, 2008 Undetermined
43 2007 Northwest Guadalupe Fur Seal Guadalupe fur seal Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Washington 29 June 20, 2007, to March 31, 2008 Undetermined
42 2007 California Blue Whale Blue whale Pacific Ocean, California 6 September 8, 2007, to November 29, 2007 Human Interaction
41 2007 Southwest Florida Manatee Manatee Gulf of Mexico, Southwest Florida 54 March 7, 2007, to April 28, 2007 Biotoxin
40 2007 California Cetacean Short-beaked common dolphin, harbor porpoise, minke whale, sperm whale Pacific Ocean, California 91 February 10, 2007, to September 30, 2007 Undetermined
39 2007 Texas to Louisiana Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin

Gulf of Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana

 65 February 27. 2007 to July 26, 2007 Undetermined
38 2006 Everglade Manatee Manatee

Gulf of Mexico, Everglades, Florida

 24 November 9, 2006, to December 31, 2006 Biotoxin
37 2006 Northwest Harbor Porpoise Harbor porpoise Pacific Ocean, Pacific Northwest 114 January 11, 2006, to December 20, 2007 Undetermined
36 2006 Northeast Pinniped Gray, harbor, harp, and hooded seal Atlantic Ocean, Maine to Virginia ~800 April 20, 2006, to October 31, 2007 Infectious Disease
35 2005-2006 Northeast Large Whale Humpback whale Atlantic Ocean, Maine to Virginia 48 January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2007 Undetermined
34 2006 Alaska Sea Otter Sea otter Pacific Ocean, Alaska ~491 January 1, 2004, to October 1, 2012 Undetermined
33 2005-2006 Florida Panhandle Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico Panhandle, Florida ~93 September 19, 2005, to April 30, 2006 Biotoxin
32 2005 Northeast Large Whale Minke, humpback, and fin, and sperm whale Atlantic Ocean, Canada to Maryland 34 July 1, 2005, to November 7, 2005 Undetermined
31 2005 North Carolina Harbor Porpoise Harbor porpoise Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina 43 February 12, 2005, to May 8, 2005 Undetermined
30 2005 West Florida Multi-Species Bottlenose dolphin, manatee Gulf of Mexico, Florida ~190 dolphins; ~92 manatees; ~38 manatees

July 1, 2005, and Nov 30,  2006;

March 4, 2005, to December 31, 2005; July 17, 2006, to December 31, 2006

 Biotoxin
29 2004 Virginia Small Cetacean Bottlenose dolphin, harbor porpoise, Atlantic white-sided dolphin, short-beaked common dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, short- and long-finned pilot whale, minke whale Atlantic Ocean, Virginia ~52 May 1, 2004, to July 12, 2004 Undetermined
28 2004 Mid-Atlantic Small Cetacean Bottlenose dolphin, short-beaked common dolphin, Risso's dolphin, pygmy sperm whale, short-finned pilot whale, dwarf sperm whale, minke whale,  Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, Clymene dolphin, Sowerby’s beaked whale, Gervais’ beaked whale, fin whale Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia ~37 July 1, 2004, to December 31, 2004 Undetermined
27 2004 Florida Panhandle Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico, Panhandle, Florida 107

March 10, 2004, to April 13, 2004

 Biotoxin
26 2003-2004 Northeast Minke Whale and Harbor Seal Minke whale, harbor seal Atlantic Ocean, Maine ~22 minke whales; ~42 harbor seals May 1, 2003, to  November 30, 2003 Undetermined
25 2003 Florida Manatee Manatee Gulf of Mexico, Florida ~96 March 2 to September 3, 2003 Biotoxin
24 2003 Gulf of Maine Large Whale Humpback whale, fin whale, minke whale, long-finned pilot whale Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Maine, Canada to Massachusetts 21 June 17, 2003, to September 1, 2003 Undetermined
23 2003 California Sea Otter Sea otter Pacific Ocean, California ~69 January 1, 2003, to October 1, 2003 Ecological Factors
22 2002 Florida Manatee Manatee Gulf of Mexico, Florida 34 March 10, 2002, to April 8, 2002 Biotoxin
21 2002 California Multi-Species California sea lion, short-beaked common dolphin, sea otter Pacific Ocean, California ~500 January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2002 Biotoxin
20 2001 Hawaiian Monk Seal Hawaiian monk seal Pacific Ocean, Northwest Hawaiian Islands ~11 March 24, 2001, to February 5, 2002 Ecological Factors
19 2001 Florida Indian River Lagoon Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Atlantic Ocean, Indian River Lagoon, Florida ~30 May 1, 2001, to October 31, 2001 Undetermined
18 2000 Harbor Seal Harbor seal Pacific Ocean, California ~26 Not Available Infectious Disease
17 2000 California Sea Lion California sea lion Pacific Ocean, California 184 June 23, 2000, to December 1, 2000 Biotoxin
16 1999-2001 Pacific Gray Whale Gray whale Pacific Ocean, California, Oregon, Washington ~651 January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2000 Undetermined
15 1999-2000 Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico, Panhandle, Florida 115 August 5, 1999, to May 20, 2000 Biotoxin
14 1998 California Sea Lion California sea lion Pacific Ocean, California 70 May 15, 1998, to June 19, 1998 Biotoxin
13 1997 Harbor Seal Harbor seal Pacific Ocean, California ~90 Not Available Infectious Disease
12 1996 Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi ~30 Not Available Undetermined
11 1996 Florida Manatee Manatee Gulf of Mexico, Florida 149 March 5, 1996, to April 27, 1996 Biotoxin
10 1996 Right Whale North Atlantic right whale Atlantic Ocean, Georgia, Florida ~6 Not Available Human Interaction
9 1994 Texas Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico, Texas ~72 (57) December 1, 1993, to April 30, 1994 Infectious Disease
8 1994 California Common Dolphin Short-beaked common dolphin Pacific Ocean, California ~53 Not Available Undetermined
7 1993 Pinniped California and Steller sea lion, harbor seal Pacific Ocean, Washington ~53 Not Available Human Interaction
6 1992-1993 California Sea Lion California sea lion Pacific Ocean, California ~1000 January 1, 1992, to December 31, 1992 Ecological Factors
5 1992 Texas Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico, Texas 220 January 1, 1992, to May 31, 1992 Undetermined
4 1992 Northeast Pinniped Gray and harbor seal Atlantic Ocean, Maine to Massachusetts ~24 September 1, 1991, to April 30, 1992 Undetermined (suspect Infectious Disease)
3  1991 Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphin Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota, Florida 30 Not Available Undetermined
2 1991 California Sea Lion California sea lion Pacific Ocean, California ~160 September 1, 1991, to December 31, 1991 Infectious Disease
1 1991 Northeast Pinniped Harbor seal Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey ~34 Not Available Undetermined

More Information

Last updated by Office of Protected Resources on 03/20/2024

Unusual Mortality Event Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program