Maritimes Region

SPECIES IN FOCUS

Leatherback Turtle

Virtually unchanged since before the days of the dinosaurs, the majestic leatherback turtle has been swimming the world’s oceans for more than 90 million years. Despite its long existence, many things about the turtle remain a mystery. We don’t know, for example, how long the turtles live or how quickly they grow. What we do know is that today the turtle is considered critically endangered.
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Yellow Lampmussel

The yellow lampmussel is a freshwater species found only in two Canadian watersheds: the Sydney River and the Saint John River. Yellow lampmussels play an important role in the ecosystem and natural food chain, although they are not a mussel that humans eat. When any species is removed, the entire balance of the ecosystem is shifted.
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North Atlantic Right Whale

Named the ‘right’ whale by whalers because it is slow-moving and easy to catch, this whale had been hunted to near extinction by the late 1800s. Today, only a tiny group of approximately 350 remains. If the whales continue to reproduce in small numbers and be killed in accidents, the species could be extinct in less than 200 years. Learn more about the North Atlantic Right Whale >>