BarentsPortal

Five whale species, seven seal species and polar bears reside full-time in the Barents Sea region. Eight additional whale species are regular seasonal migrants that come into the Barents Sea to take advantage of the seasonal, summer-time peak in productivity as the ice retreats northward. Three additional dolphin species are occasionally observed in the southern Barents Sea and sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) have been observed north of 79°N off the west coast of Spitsbergen, but are still considered rare north of the Norwegian Sea, despite increasing numbers of sightings in Svalbard and elsewhere in the region. Most species feed at high trophic levels, with the polar bear and killer whale being apex predators; although some of the largest baleen whales, such as blue whales and bowhead whales feed low in the food web, at the plankton level, specialising on krill and copepods, respectively.