Species recorded around Channel Islands
Bat star
Patiria miniataShort, broad arms give the body a webbed, bat-like outline.
View Bat star records on the map →Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatusA short, thick beak and gray body are useful starting clues. The back is generally darker than the underside, but size and color vary between coastal and offshore animals; a distant fin alone is insufficient.
View Bottlenose dolphin records on the map →Common minke whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrataCoastal bays and offshore ocean waters, particularly in temperate and cooler seas
View Common minke whale records on the map →Fin whale
Balaenoptera physalusOpen ocean waters across the world’s oceans
View Fin whale records on the map →Giant-spined star
Pisaster giganteusLarge pale spines ringed in blue or purple on thick arms.
View Giant-spined star records on the map →Green sea turtle
Chelonia mydasLook for four pairs of large scutes along the sides of the shell and a single pair of large scales between the eyes. The shell can look brown, gray or olive; the name does not mean the shell is green. Juveniles can resemble hawksbills, so compare several features.
View Green sea turtle records on the map →Gumboot chiton
Cryptochiton stelleriA large chiton whose fleshy outer covering hides its shell plates.
View Gumboot chiton records on the map →Harbor seal
Phoca vitulinaHarbor seals have a short, dog-like snout, short front flippers and no external ear flaps. Their coats can have dark spots on a pale background or pale rings on a darker background.
View Harbor seal records on the map →Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliaeOpen ocean, coastal feeding waters, and warm, shallow breeding areas
View Humpback whale records on the map →Leather star
Dermasterias imbricataA broad central disk with short, tapering arms and a smooth, reddish-brown and gray surface.
View Leather star records on the map →Ochre sea star
Pisaster ochraceusLook for five stout arms and small pale spines forming a patterned upper surface. Individuals can be orange, brown, purple or other shades; the common name is not a dependable color test.
View Ochre sea star records on the map →Orange puffball sponge
Tethya californianaA rounded orange or golden sponge with a rough surface of grooves and ridges.
View Orange puffball sponge records on the map →Pacific blood star
Henricia leviusculaUsually five slender arms around a small central disk; often orange.
View Pacific blood star records on the map →Purple sea urchin
Strongylocentrotus purpuratusAdults usually have a rounded body covered with purple spines. Young animals may be paler and greenish, so color alone is not a complete identification.
View Purple sea urchin records on the map →Red abalone
Haliotis rufescensRocky reefs and kelp forests
View Red abalone records on the map →Red sea urchin
Mesocentrotus franciscanusLong spines and a large body, colored brick red through dark burgundy.
View Red sea urchin records on the map →Red turban snail
Pomaulax gibberosusRocky reefs and kelp habitat in cool coastal waters
View Red turban snail records on the map →White-spotted rose anemone
Cribrinopsis albopunctataA red column marked with vertical rows of white dots; tentacles are red toward their tips.
View White-spotted rose anemone records on the map →
OBIS records since 2016-01-01; checked 2026-09-19. The search covers a 40 km radius around the destination center. This is a selection matched to our species guide, not a complete local checklist. Past presence does not predict an encounter. Source checklist · How we check records.