National Marine Conservation Areas of Canada

Canada’s National Marine Conservation Areas System Plan

Northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) and Greater shearwater (Puffinus gravis)

Northern bottlenose whales are rarely seen, preferring deep offshore waters. They are some of the greatest divers among whales and dolphins and can dive 1000 m straight down in two minutes and stay under for up to 70 minutes. They feed mainly on squid, but also eat sea cucumbers, sea stars and herring. They are quite curious and eagerly approach ships — a trait which made them popular with whalers.

Part of the 'tubenose' family for their tube-shaped nostrils, greater shearwaters breed in the Southern Hemisphere and spend their winter in our waters, primarily offshore. Shearwaters get their name from skimming low over the ocean in their search for food, often only inches above the surface, seeming to shear the water with their wing tips.