Charleston, SC - On Wednesday, state lawmakers planned on naming an official state marine mammal for South Carolina. The choice was between the right whale and the bottle nose dolphin. The group postponed the decision until sometime next week.

Brian Thill, school program manager at the South Carolina Aquarium, says that both animals are an intricate part of the Lowcountry marine ecosystem.

“This particular whale is very rare. We’re looking at about 400 left in the world, which makes it very unique to this area,” said Thill.

The whales migrate along the East Coast to give birth just off our coasts. Right whales can be longer than a school bus and weigh as much as 160,000 pounds.

The bottle nose dolphin can be seen in many coastal locations in the Lowcountry.

“They are very common, they eat fish, and they're a very sociable animal. You'll see them in front of some boats and ships. They like to play,” Thill said.

People around the Lowcountry are divided on the issue, including a pair of sisters that we spoke with.

“I think maybe the dolphin is sort of a show off because it stays closer, it's a prima donna, so I'm going to go with the right whale,” said Kellyn Uhl.

“I don't think that the right whale is the right choice because if the dolphin hangs around here more I would say that the dolphin deserves that title,” said Caitlin Uhl.

Lawmakers hope to have a decision sometime next week on which mammal will get the title.

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