Cetaceans mammal list rankings

Although there is much more to mammalwatching than listing species, it is – for many of us – a fun way to track our effort. Mammal listing is nothing more than a friendly competition. But I believe it can motivate mammalwatchers and also lead to a more interactive and lively community. So if you have a list please share it here. Any questions about what people have seen or where? Just click on their list and ask them. And if you are feeling motivated to add to your list then check out this post on where to see (most of) all the world’s cetaceans.

Create an account – or login to your account – then click on My Account from the top menu to add or manage your lists (or simply click here).

Download the list of all cetaceans (Can be used to create a pdf ready for uploading your list)

Whale and dolphin watching rankings

#

Name

No. of species

List

Latest observations

11

Valentin
Moser

29

both Kogia, Bowhead whale, Beluga

12

Daniel
Benak

28

pygmy and dwarf sperm whales, northern bottlenose whales, Sowerby's beaked whales, false killer whale, beluga, rough-toothed dolphin, blue whales, and sei whale

13

Mary J
Getten

27

Snorkeling with Dusky and Hectors Dolphins in New Zealand in 2024. Snorkeling with Sperm Whales , False Killer Whales and Pilot Whales in Dominica in 2023.

14

Ashton
Reiser

25

River Dolphins, Arnoux's, Blue, Sperm, Sei, Fin Whales, Hourglass Dolphins, Orca 2025

15

Vsevolod
Rudyi

23

Both Kogia species, Northern Bottlenose Whale, Sowerby's Beaked Whale, False Killer Whale, Blue Whale, Sei Whale.

16

B.
Kao

19

Fin Whale, Eastern Pacific Long-beaked Common Dolphin, Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Dwarf Sperm Whale, Pygmy Sperm Whale, Northern Bottlenose Whale, Sowerby's Beaked Whale, False Killer Whale, North Atlantic Right Whale

17

Wouter
Pieters

18

Latest sighting was ganges river dolphins in Nepal (2024)

18

Balazs
Buzas

18

Update (2025 Nov. 28.): 20 species seen (18 in the wild and 2 in captivity). Just back from Svalbard where added beluga to this list.

19

Marcelo
Gavensky

17

Latest: Harbor Porpoise, Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Burmeister's Porpoise. Previous highlights: Southern Right Whale Dolphin, Franciscana, Bolivian River Dolphin, Sei Whale, Killer Whale and more

20

Ellen
Linton

16

Latest observations include Melon-headed Whale and Fraser's Dolphin in Hawaii. Previous highlights include Northern Right Whale Dolphin off the Farallon Islands and Atlantic Spotted Dolphin on a Cape Hatteras pelagic.