WHAT IS A MARINE MAMMAL?

What makes a marine mammal a marine mammal? They must meet the characteristics
of all mammals — they breathe air through lungs, are warm-blooded, have hair (at
some point during life), and produce milk to nurse their young while also living most
or all of their lives in or very near the ocean.

HOW DO MAMMALS LIVE IN THE OCEAN?

To keep warm in the ocean, most marine mammals depend on thick layer of blubber
(or fat) altought some,like fur seals and sea otters, rely on thier thick fur coats. Many
marine mammals species can stay underwater for a long time, but must come to the
surface to breathe.

Marine mammals are found in marine ecosystems around the globe. They are
a diverse group of mammals with unique physical adaptations that allow
them to thrive in the marine environment with extreme temperatures, depths,
pressure, and darkness. Marine mammals are classified into four different
taxonomic groups: cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), pinnipeds
(seals, sea lions, and walruses), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), and
marine fissipeds (polar bears and sea otters).

cetaceans:

Whales
COMMON NAME: Whales
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cetacea
DIET: Carnivore
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN: unknown
SIZE: 9 feet to 98 feet long
WEIGHT: 500 pounds to 200 tons
CURRENT POPULATION TREND: Unknown
Whales are the largest animals on Earth and they live in every ocean. The massive
mammals range from the 600-pound dwarf sperm whale to the colossal blue
whale, which can weigh more than 200 tons and stretch up to 100 feet long—
almost as long as a professional basketball court.
Whales are warm-blooded creatures that nurse their young.

Dolphins
COMMON NAME: Dolphins
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Odontoceti
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN: unknown
SIZE: up to 32 feet
WEIGHT: Up to 6 tons
Dolphins are small-toothed cetaceans easily recognizable by their curved mouths,
which give them a permanent “smile.” There are 36 dolphin species, found in
every ocean. Most dolphins are marine and live in the ocean or brackish waters
along coastlines. There are a few species, however, like the South Asian river
dolphin and the Amazon river dolphin, or boto, that live in freshwater streams and
rivers.
The largest dolphin, the orca, can grow to be over 30 feet long. The smallest, the
Maui dolphin, is just five feet long. Dolphins feed chiefly of fish and squid, which
they track using echolocation.

sirenians:

Manatees
COMMON NAME: Manatees
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Trichechus
TYPE: Mammals
DIET: Herbivore
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: 40 years
SIZE: 8 to 13 feet
WEIGHT: 440 to 1,300 pounds
Manatees are sometimes called sea cows, and their languid pace lends merit to
the comparison.
However, despite their massive bulk, they are graceful swimmers in coastal
waters and rivers. Powering themselves with their strong tails, manatees typically
glide along at 5 miles an hour but can swim 15 miles an hour in short bursts.
Manatees are usually seen alone, in pairs, or in small groups of a half dozen or
fewer animals

Dugong

COMMON NAME: Dugong

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dugong dugon
TYPE: Mammals
DIET: Herbivore
GROUP NAME: Herd
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: 70 years
SIZE: 8 to 10 feet
WEIGHT: 510 to 1,100 pounds
These enormous vegetarians can be found in warm coastal waters from East
Africa to Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific.
Dugongs are related to manatees and are similar in appearance and behavior—
though the dugong's tail is fluked like a whale's. Both are related to the elephant,
although the giant land animal is not at all similar in appearance or behavior.

marine fissipeds:
Polar Bear
COMMON NAME: Polar Bear
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ursus maritimus
TYPE: Mammals
DIET: Carnivore
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: 25 to 30 years
SIZE: Head and body: 7.25 to 8 feet; tail: 3 to 5 inches
WEIGHT: 900 to 1,600 pounds
Polar bears roam the Arctic ice sheets and swim in that region's coastal waters.
They are very strong swimmers, and their large front paws, which they use to
paddle, are slightly webbed. Some polar bears have been seen swimming
hundreds of miles from land—though they probably cover most of that distance
by floating on sheets of ice.

Sea Otter
COMMON NAME: Sea Otter
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Enhydra lutris
TYPE: Mammals
DIET: Carnivore
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: Up to 23 years
SIZE: 4 feet
WEIGHT: 65 pounds
This aquatic member of the weasel family is found along the coasts of the Pacific
Ocean in North America and Asia. The sea otter spends most of its time in the
water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest. Sea otters have
webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears
that close in the water.

pinniped

Walrus

COMMON NAME: Walrus

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Odobenus rosmarus

TYPE: Mammals

DIET: Carnivore

GROUP NAME: Herd

AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: Up to 40 years

SIZE: 7.25 to 11.5 feet

WEIGHT: Up to 1.5 tons

The mustached and long-tusked walrus is most often found

near the Arctic Circle, lying on the ice with hundreds of
companions. These marine mammals are extremely
sociable, prone to loudly bellowing and snorting at one
another, but are aggressive during mating season. With
wrinkled brown and pink hides, walruses are distinguished
by their long white tusks, grizzly whiskers, flat flipper, and
bodies full of blubber.