marine mammal
Seal or dolphin
A marine mammal is any mammal that lives primarily in or depends on the ocean for survival.
The group includes whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, walruses, manatees, sea otters, and polar bears.
Like all mammals, they are warm-blooded, breathe air, and nurse their young—adaptations that distinguish them from fish despite their aquatic lives.
Authentication stamp or mark
- whaleHuge sea mammal
- dolphinEcholocating marine mammal
- manateeLarge aquatic herbivorous mammal
- walrusTusked Arctic marine mammal
dugong · otter · porpoise · sea lion · narwhal · beluga · orca · humpback
Marine mammal fat
- flippersFoot-worn swim aids
- blowholeWhale's breathing aperture
- baleenWhale's filtering bristles
- flukeChance stroke of luck
whiskers · dorsal fin · melon · tail · pectoral fin · streamlined · insulation · echolocation
Massive saltwater body
- coastalOf the shoreline
- arcticOf extreme northern cold
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- temperateMild, avoiding extremes
kelp forest · ice floe · estuary · river · bay · lagoon · reef · open sea
Mental knowledge acquisition
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- problem-solvingAddressing challenges methodically
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- learningGaining knowledge gradually
memory · curiosity · playfulness · social structure · cooperation · empathy · training · mirror test
At risk of extinction
- protectedKept from harm
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
bycatch · rehabilitation · stranding · captivity · hunting ban · quota · whaling · sealing
Breaking through something
- divingEntering water deliberately
- spoutingEmitting in streams
- nursingMedical caretaking profession
- porpoisingLeaping repeatedly above water
vocalizations · singing · clicking · whistling · beaching · basking · grooming · foraging
Sites where species reproduce
- calvingIce mass separation
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- navigationDetermining position and course
- trackingMonitoring location over time
tagging · satellite monitoring · long-distance · annual cycle · homing · corridors
seal
Authentication stamp or mark
walrus · dugong · otter · porpoise · sea lion · narwhal · beluga · orca · humpback · blue whale
blubber
Marine mammal fat
fluke · whiskers · dorsal fin · melon · tail · pectoral fin · streamlined · insulation · echolocation · sonar
ocean
Massive saltwater body
temperate · kelp forest · ice floe · estuary · river · bay · lagoon · reef · open sea · continental shelf
cognition
Mental knowledge acquisition
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- problem-solvingAddressing challenges methodically
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
learning · memory · curiosity · playfulness · social structure · cooperation · empathy · training · mirror test · culture
endangered
At risk of extinction
- protectedKept from harm
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
poaching · bycatch · rehabilitation · stranding · captivity · hunting ban · quota · whaling · sealing · pollution
breaching
Breaking through something
porpoising · vocalizations · singing · clicking · whistling · beaching · basking · grooming · foraging · surfacing
breeding grounds
Sites where species reproduce
- calvingIce mass separation
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- navigationDetermining position and course
tracking · tagging · satellite monitoring · long-distance · annual cycle · homing · corridors
- aquariumdolphin, penguin, fish tank, ray, octopus
- Arctic wildlifepolar bear, arctic fox, arctic tern, snowy owl, muskox
- oceanographyoceanography, oceanographer, sonar, ocean circulation, thermocline
- Antarctic wildlifeemperor penguin, leopard seal, king penguin, killer whale, humpback whale
- marine huntingseal hunting, seal hunt, seal hunters, sealing, whaling