Most river mammals spend only part of their lives in water. Animals such as the river otter and the swimming rat live on land and venture into the water in search of food.
1. Hippopotamus.
A hippopotamus peers out of an algae-covered lake in Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. These massive mammals cool their huge bodies in African lakes, ponds and rivers for up to 16 hours a day every day. And although these animals can hold their breath for about half an hour, they usually do not submerge completely under water, leaving the top of their heads on the surface. At night, hippos leave the water and come to land in search of food. If they stay on land too long during a hot day, the animals quickly become dehydrated.
2. Hippopotamus.
The Zambian hippopotamus sends an aggressive message by displaying its sharp teeth, which can reach lengths of 20 inches (51 centimeters). Males use a wide open mouth when fighting to determine which animal is dominant. Sometimes a simple show of force is not enough, and such behavior leads to potentially deadly battles. Hippos are also dangerous to humans.
3. Manatee.
Manatees swim slowly through shallow, warm coastal waters and rivers. For example, such as this crystal clean river in Florida - Crystal River, which is shown in this photo. The large mammals (up to 1,300 pounds or 600 kg) are born underwater and remain there throughout their lives, although they must come up for air every few minutes. Known as sea cows, they are voracious herbivores, feeding on a variety of sea grasses, weeds and algae.
Some various types Manatees live along the Atlantic coast of North and South America, the west coast of Africa, and in the Amazon River.
4. Muskrat.
Muskrats are frequent inhabitants of wetlands, swamps and ponds, where they make their burrows by digging tunnels in marshy banks. This large rodent has a foot-long body and a flat tail almost as long as its body. Muskrats are well adapted to water and begin to swim 10 days after birth. Perhaps best known for their highly developed communication skills, muskrats exchange information with each other and ward off predators with their distinct scent.
5. Baikal seals.
Lives in the world a large number of seals, but only one species is truly freshwater - the Baikal seal. These seals live in the lake of the same name in the territory Russian Federation, which is the deepest in the world. Although new generations of Baikal seals are born every year in such colonies, this species is not in serious danger. The main threats are poaching, as well as pollution from paper and pulp production, which are located near the lake.
6. Amazonian dolphin.
To track food (small fish and crustaceans) in murky river waters, the charismatic Amazon dolphin uses echolocation. During their annual leashes, these dolphins actually swim through the flooded forests and hunt among the trees. A bright shade (often pink or very pale color) and the natural curiosity of this species of dolphins makes them easy prey for fishermen-poachers, who illegally catch them to use as bait for catfish. The population of these individuals has decreased significantly over last years. Among local residents Inhabiting the shores of the Amazon, these dolphins have long been considered supernatural creatures that could take on human form.
7. Capybara.
The world's largest rodent, the capybara grows to 4 feet in length (130 cm) and weighs about 145 pounds (66 kg). These moisture-loving mammals reach this size by eating grasses and aquatic plants.
In most cases, these mammals live in watery areas, to which they are physically well adapted. They have webbed feet, thanks to which they swim well and can submerge under water for five minutes or more. Capybaras live in Central and South America, inhabiting the lakes, rivers and wetlands of Panama from southern Brazil to northern Argentina.
The Nature Conservancy is working with partners to protect capybara habitat, including the watery grasslands of Llanos. The group is working with local landowners to create private reserves in critical habitat areas and helping to secure more resources for a 63,000-acre (25,500-hectare) conservation area in Casanare province in northeastern Colombia.
8. Capybaras.
The eyes, ears and nostrils of capybaras are located high on the head, so they remain on the surface when the animal is in the water. These social mammals move and live in alpha male-dominated groups and work together to defend their home and feeding territory. People hunt (and also farm) capybaras for their skin and meat, which is especially popular during Lent - Catholics in South America consider the animal an acceptable alternative to beef or pork.
9. Beaver.
Beavers are ecological engineers, second only to humans in their ability to significantly alter the landscape to their liking. Using their powerful jaws and teeth, they cut down trees by the dozens and build dams of wood and mud 2 to 10 feet (1-3 meters) high and over 100 feet (30 meters) long. And they do this so that the filling waters flood the nearby fields and forests. In the resulting lakes, which are sometimes enormous in size, beavers build their homes from branches and mud.
10. Beaver.
Although they are quite clumsy on land, beavers swim easily in the water thanks to their webbed feet and paddle-shaped tail, which help them reach speeds of up to 5 miles (8 km) per hour. These mammals also boast a sort of natural diving suit in the form of their oily, water-resistant fur.
Beavers eat aquatic plants, roots, leaves, bark, and branches. Their teeth grow throughout their lives, so they simply need to chew on trees to prevent them from growing too long and crooked. A single beaver chews through hundreds of trees each year, typically gnawing down a tree 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter in just 15 minutes.
11. River otter.
This sleepy river otter is actually very playful. The water-loving mammal is always willing to dive under water and can move gracefully thanks to its webbed feet and paddle-shaped tail. Otters have specially designed ears and nostrils that close underwater, as well as water-repellent fur. Young otters begin to swim at the age of 2 months. River otters live in burrows along the edges of a river or lake in close proximity to the fish on which they feed.
12. Platypus.
The platypus is an incredible mixture of different animals: its furry body resembles that of an otter, its beak like that of a duck, and its webbed feet and paddle-shaped tail like a beaver. Like all these animals, the platypus is a strong swimmer and spends most of its life underwater. Unlike otters and beavers, they lay eggs. Male platypus have poisonous stings on hind legs Oh. These animals build their burrows at the very edge of the water and feed on underwater worms, mollusks and insects.
Marine mammals are a collective group of aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals whose life is spent entirely or a significant part of their time in marine environment. This category includes representatives of various systematic groups mammals: sirenians, cetaceans, pinnipeds - eared seals, true seals, walruses. In addition to these animals, marine mammals also include single representatives of the families of mustelids (sea otter and sea otter) and bears ( polar bear ). In total, about 128 species are classified as marine mammals, representing 2.7% of total number
mammals.
Marine mammals are animals descended from land animals that secondarily connected their lives at a certain stage of evolutionary development with the sea water element. Sirens and cetaceans descended from ungulate ancestors, while pinnipeds, sea otters and the polar bear originated from ancient canids. Long before people appeared on our planet, the sea and ocean were developed by marine mammals - cetaceans and pinnipeds. Findings by paleontologists confirm the existence of whales 26 million years ago in the Cenozoic period. During the process of evolution, the species composition of marine mammals has undergone significant changes. Epochs have changed and with them
conditions of existence , some species became extinct, others, on the contrary, managed to adapt and increase their numbers.. Let's look at the main representatives.
1. Whales. These include different species: bowheads, sperm whales, beaked whales, minke whales and others.
2. Orcas. Animals very close to whales, dangerous killers of sea and ocean spaces.
3. Dolphins. Different types: bottlenose dolphins, beak-headed, short-headed, porpoises, beluga whales and others.
4. Seals. Animals of the seal genus, the most common being the ringed seal.
5. Seals. They include several varieties: lionfish, spotted seals, eared seals, true seals, bearded seals and others.
6. Elephant seals two types: northern and southern.
7. Sea lions.
8. sea cows - today, a marine mammal almost exterminated by humans.
9. Walruses.
10. Navy SEALs.
Like land species, sea and ocean animals also have distinctive features that allow them to be classified as mammals. What animals are classified as mammals? Like all representatives of this class, marine and ocean mammals are characterized by feeding their offspring with milk through special mammary glands. These animals bear offspring within themselves ( intrauterine development) and reproduce it using the process of viviparity. These are poikilothermic animals (warm-blooded), they have sweat glands, a thick layer of subcutaneous fat
glycogen. There is a diaphragm available to allow breathing. These devices make it possible to confidently classify all of the above animals as marine and ocean mammals.
Sea lion
Order Pinnipeds
These are large animals with a spindle-shaped body, a short neck and limbs turned into flippers. They spend most of their time in the water, coming ashore only to breed or for short-term rest. About 30 species are known, among them the harp seal, fur seal and. harp seal
The harp seal is an inhabitant of the Arctic seas. Seals spend most of the year in the open sea, feeding on fish, shellfish and crustaceans. In winter, herds of seals come to the shores and get out onto large, flat ice fields. Here the female gives birth to one large, sighted calf.
The white skin of a baby seal with thick fur protects it from frost and makes it invisible among the snow. With the beginning of spring, the herd migrates north. Seals are hunted for their skins and fat. Fur seal
has ears and rear flippers used for locomotion. On land, the hind flippers bend under the body, then straighten - the cat makes a jump.
The fur seal lives in the Far Eastern seas. Its body is covered with thick fur with a dense, waterproof undercoat. At the beginning of summer, seals come to the shores of the islands in large herds to breed. The female gives birth to one young, covered with black hair. In the fall, when the cubs grow up and learn to swim, the seals leave the islands until spring.
Seals have valuable fur.
Walrus
- the largest of all pinnipeds, up to 4 m long and weighing up to 2,000 kg. The walrus has bare skin and no hair. It is characterized by huge fangs, 40-70 cm long, hanging vertically down from the upper jaw. Walruses use them to scavenge at the bottom, extracting from there various large invertebrates - mollusks, crayfish, worms. Having eaten, they like to sleep on the shore, gathered in a tight group. When moving on land, the hind legs are tucked under the body, but due to the enormous mass they do not go far from the water. They live in the northern seas.- the largest modern mammal. Some specimens reach a length of 30 m and a mass of 150 tons. This corresponds to the mass of at least 40 elephants. The blue whale is a toothless whale. It has no teeth and feeds on small aquatic animals, mainly crustaceans. Numerous elastic horny plates with fringed edges hang from the upper jaw of the animal - whalebone.
Having filled the huge oral cavity with water, the whale filters it through the oral plates and swallows the stuck crustaceans. A blue whale eats 2-4 tons of food per day. Whales that have baleen instead of teeth are classified as baleen or toothless whales. There are 11 known species of them. The other group is toothed whales
having numerous teeth, some with up to 240 teeth. Their teeth are all the same, cone-shaped, and serve only to capture prey. Toothed whales include dolphins and sperm whales.
Dolphins - relatively small (1.5-3 m long) cetaceans, the snout of which is elongated, like a beak. Most have a dorsal fin. There are 50 types in total. Dolphins find prey using ultrasounds. In water, they make clicking sounds or an intermittent high-pitched whistle, and the echo reflected from the object is picked up by the hearing organs. Dolphins can exchange sound signals with each other, thanks to which they quickly gather where one of them has discovered a school of fish. If any misfortune happens to one dolphin, the others come to its aid as soon as they hear alarm signals.
Dolphin brains have
complex structure, in its cerebral hemispheres there are many convolutions. In captivity, dolphins quickly become tamed and are easy to train. Dolphin hunting is prohibited. The common dolphin, no more than 2.5 m long, lives in the northern and Far Eastern seas, as well as in the Baltic and Black seas. Its slender body is black on top, its belly and sides are white. On the elongated jaws of the white sided there are more than 150 teeth of the same conical shape. With them the dolphin grabs and holds the fish, which it swallows whole. Sperm whale- large toothed whale. The length of males is up to 21 m, females - up to 13 m and weight up to 80 tons. The sperm whale
huge head - up to 1/3 of body length. His favorite food is large time. For example, whales can go from 2 to 40 minutes without breathing underwater. A sperm whale can not breathe underwater for up to an hour and a half. How long a mammal can stay underwater is affected by the volume of its lungs. Also important role
plays a role in the content of a special substance in the muscles - myoglobin.
Marine mammals, like land mammals, are predators and herbivores. For example, manatees are herbivorous mammals, while dolphins and killer whales are carnivores. Herbivorous mammals feed on various algae, while predators need animal food - fish, crustaceans, mollusks and others.
Most common Among the marine mammals, this is the Larga seal, which lives off the coast and hunts fish, and for this it swims considerable distances from the shore. After hunting, he returns to the shore to feed the cubs and rest himself. The Larga seal is gray in color with brown spots. That's why it got its name. Larga seals can form entire settlements, where from several hundred to several thousand individuals live. The largest marine mammal - blue whale. Due to its size, it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Average length
giant - 25 meters. A average weight - 100 tons. Such impressive sizes distinguish it not only among marine animals, but also among mammals in general. Despite their terrifying appearance, whales are not dangerous to people, as they feed exclusively on fish and plankton.
The most dangerous marine mammal
- This . Despite the fact that it does not attack humans, it is still a formidable predator. Even whales are afraid of her. It’s not for nothing that the killer whale is called a whale killer.
In addition to whales, she can hunt dolphins, to humans, the marine mammal is the dolphin. There are many known cases where dolphins saved people from shipwrecks. They swam up to people, and they clung to their fins, so the dolphins brought people to the nearest shore. There are no known cases of dolphin attacks on humans. Both children and adults love these peace-loving animals. In dolphinariums you can watch dolphins perform in the water. By the way, dolphins are very smart and scientists have found that their brains can be even more developed than the human brain.
Killer whale is fastest marine mammal. It can accelerate to 55.5 kilometers per hour. Such a record was recorded in 1958 in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The killer whale is distributed throughout the world's oceans. It can be found near the coast and in open waters. The killer whale does not enter only the East Siberian, Black and Laptev Seas. Thanks to warm-bloodedness and high level Mammal organizations spread across the Earth from the tropics to high latitudes. Depending on the habitat animals are divided into several:
- environmental groups
- land animals,
- underground mammals,
- aquatic Mammals,
flying mammals. Each group includes small groups
- . So, among there are groups of terrestrial mammals that lead:
- typically terrestrial
- woody,
tree climbing or other way of life. Land animals
- - the most numerous group in terms of the number of species, which is divided into two subgroups:
- forest animals,
animals of open spaces. For animals inhabiting the forest and leading a terrestrial lifestyle (elk, deer, roe deer, wolverine, Brown bear ), characteristic limited vision, well-developed hearing and sense of smell
. They get all their food on the ground. Babies are born on the forest floor (elk, roe deer), in burrows (badger), in dens (brown bear). Arboreal mammals (squirrels, flying squirrels, some species of martens, most monkeys) spend most of their lives in trees, where they get food, make nests, and hide from enemies. They are characterized elongated slender body and very mobile limbs. There are often special devices
- for tree climbing:
- sharp curved claws,
- hapal type paws with well-developed toes,
prehensile tail, etc.
Animals leading a terrestrial lifestyle (sable, chipmunk) feed mainly on the ground, and make nests under the roots of trees, in hollows located not high from the ground, in fallen trees. TO open spaces include ungulates, lagomorphs, some carnivores, etc. They are characterized by:
- slim body,
- ability to run fast,
- protective body coloring,
- well developed vision,
- have hooves or thick, blunt claws.
In large herbivorous animals (antelope, camels, horses), newborn babies immediately get to their feet and move behind their parents. Small animals (gophers, marmots, hamsters), although they spend a significant part of their time on the surface of the earth, where they find food, but live in burrows, serve as a place of rest, feeding their offspring, summer and hibernation. They have flattened body, short legs with large but blunt claws; the fur is short and rough.
Land animals that are common in various places a habitat. Some species of animals, for example, the wolf and the fox, live both in forests and in steppes, deserts, and mountains. The nature of their food, methods of obtaining, and breeding conditions are different and associated with specific places of residence. So, wolves that live in forests give birth to babies in dens, and sometimes dig holes in the desert and tundra.
Underground Beasts (moles, mole rats, blind men, armadillos) spend their entire life (or most of it) in the soil, finding shelter and food there. Their body is flattened; the neck is weakly defined, thick, legs and tail are short. The hairline is short, often without lint. The eyes are reduced to one degree or another. There are no auricles. Some dig the ground with their forelimbs, others loosen with their incisors.
Aquatic mammals spend their entire lives (or most of it) in aquatic environment. Cetaceans and sirenians lead an exclusively aquatic lifestyle. Their hair completely disappears, and the layer of subcutaneous fat is well developed. There are no hind limbs. The organ of movement is the caudal fin. Pinnipeds lead a predominantly aquatic lifestyle - only reproduction and molting occur outside the water. The hair cover of pinnipeds is reduced to one degree or another and the function of thermal insulation is performed by a layer of subcutaneous fat. With the help of their hind limbs (flippers), moved far back, they swim and dive.
Half aquatic Mammals live both in water and on land (otter, nutria, beaver, muskrat, muskrat). Their limbs are short, between the toes hind legs there is a swimming membrane; the tail of some is flat, covered with scales and is used as a rudder when swimming; the auricles are shortened or completely reduced, the ear openings and nostrils are closed by valves when animals are immersed in water; hairline thick, slightly wetted with water.
Flying animals are a highly specialized group, whose representatives have adapted to flight (the Chiroptera series). In connection with the flight they developed keel, as well as muscles that move the wings; the bones of the skull have fused, the chest has become stronger.
Animals leading a terrestrial lifestyle (sable, chipmunk) feed mainly on the ground, and make nests under the roots of trees, in hollows located not high from the ground, in fallen trees. underground mammals are predominantly rodents. Among them there is full row transitions from burrowers - gophers, marmots, voles, etc., who spend a significant part of their lives on the surface of the earth, to diggers - mole rats, zokors and a number of others, almost never coming to its surface.
Typical burrowing forms are also found in other orders: the marsupial mole - among the marsupials; mole, African golden mole - among insectivores; armadillos - from edentates; The aardvark is also a burrower. Shrews are characterized by reduction of the eyes and auricles, a rolled body shape, short tail or even its complete absence and low fur, devoid of lint. Some of them make their passages with the help of short but extremely powerful forelimbs, for example, the mole, the zokor, others use their teeth for this, for example, the mole rat, the mole rat and a number of other rodents. It is noteworthy that in some representatives of the latter group the lower jaw can move to an additional articular surface located behind the “normal” one, and in this case the animal can act with its upper incisors like a hoe.
Animals leading a terrestrial lifestyle (sable, chipmunk) feed mainly on the ground, and make nests under the roots of trees, in hollows located not high from the ground, in fallen trees. arboreal mammal This includes, first of all, the vast majority of monkeys and prosimians, a number of rodents and marsupials. There are arboreal forms among insectivores (tupaya), and among edentates (sloths, prehensile-tailed anteaters), and among carnivores. Arboreal mammals are characterized by grasping or prehensile paws, like those of monkeys, prosimians, and many marsupials; often a prehensile tail, for example, most broad-nosed monkeys, some marsupials (cuscus and possums), arboreal forms of anteaters, lizards and porcupines; among predators, the South American noses. Marsupial flying squirrels, woolly winged squirrels, among rodents - real flying squirrels and African spiny-tailed squirrels have a skin fold on the sides of the body, which increases its “bearing surface” when jumping.
To the present flying animals include only bats, of which the majority are at the same time associated with tree plantationsniyami. Such are fruit bats, feeding on fruits and resting among the branches, and many insectivorous bats, spending the day in hollows. Of our forms, the most associated with trees is the rufous noctule, living exclusively in hollows.
Aquatic mammals, perhaps the most diverse of all the main ecological groups of mammals: here there is a full range of transitions from such forms as mink, polar bear, water vole, in which the morphological adaptations associated with a semi-aquatic lifestyle are barely expressed, right up to whales and dolphins, having the organization of strictly aquatic animals that quickly die out of water.
Semi-aquatic image Many mammals from a wide variety of orders lead their lives: from monotremes - the platypus, from marsupials - the South American swimmer (the only aquatic marsupial), from insectivores - our water shrew and the African otter shrew, from rodents - the water vole, muskrat, nutria, capybara and a number of others , among predators - mink, otter, polar bear, and among ungulates - hippopotamus. Even more aquatic animals are the beaver, and even more so the muskrat and sea otter, or the Kamchatka sea otter. With the exception of the hippopotamus, all these animals are characterized by extremely thick fur, sharply divided into awns and undercoat. The auricles are either absent or greatly reduced. Many hind limbs are equipped with well-developed swimming membranes (muskrat, beaver, platypus, which also have membranes on their front legs), and in sea otters they have turned into real flippers. Tail, by at least in smaller forms, it is well developed.
Regardless of whether they live exclusively in bodies of water or swim only occasionally, all these mammals are a true miracle of nature. They can be found all over the world and are very different from each other. By the way, people often confuse these animals with other aquatic animals. We easily call beavers water lovers, but we often forget that whales are also mammals, and not fish.
From dolphins to moose, aquatic mammals play an essential role in their ecosystems, and they are all naturally excellent swimmers. How many of these types of animals do you know? It's time to test yourself with our selection of 25 of the most amazing marine and waterfowl mammals!
25. Amazonian river or freshwater dolphin
Also known as the pink dolphin, white dolphin or inia dolphin, this cetacean lives only in fresh waters the great Amazon and river system Orinoco. There this mammal is found quite often, although in recent years the population of the pink dolphin has begun to decline significantly due to the destruction of their habitat (the construction of dams).
24. Ladoga ringed seal
Photo: Alexander Butakov
Ladoga ringed seals are a very numerous subspecies and the smallest seal in the entire Arctic, which is why inexperienced observers often confuse adults with young animals.
23. Canadian or North American beaver
Photo: Steve/Washington
This is a semi-aquatic rodent with translucent eyelids, created specifically for navigation under water, and with incredibly sharp teeth, with which it chews through the most powerful trees and builds dams. Beavers play a very important role in the life of their habitat and help in its prosperity.
22. Amazonian manatee
Photo: Dirk Meyer
The Amazonian manatee is a rather bizarre looking mammal with two forelimbs and a tail instead of hind legs. This is the smallest manatee in nature.
21. Eurasian otter
Photo: Catherine Trigg
This animal prefers the fresh waters of Europe, feeds on fish and frogs, and sometimes even feasts on small birds.
20. Capybara
Photo: Pixabay.com
The capybara would probably get along well with the African hippopotamus, because it loves the water and mud of the Andean and other South American river coasts. Like hippos, the capybara's eyes, ears and mouth are located almost on the very top of the animal's head, allowing it to observe what is happening around it while being almost completely underwater.
19. North American river otter
Photo: Sage Ross
This otter has a water-repellent coat, webbed feet and a long body. By nature, it is simply created to pierce water like an arrow. These funny little animals can hold their breath underwater for as long as 8 minutes!
18. Platypus
Photo: Klaus
The first scientists who encountered these funny mammals thought that the beast was not real, and that one of their colleagues was clearly playing a joke. A cross between a duck, a beaver and an otter is already something absolutely incredible. In addition, the platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs. Males of this species are poisonous.
17. Hippopotamus
Photo: Pexels.com
They love water so much that the Greeks even nicknamed these massive animals “river horses.” Despite their external bulk, hippos are excellent swimmers, and under water they can survive without oxygen for up to 5 minutes.
16. Indian rhinoceros
Photo: Dr. Raju Kasambe
Listed as a vulnerable species (at risk of extinction), the Indian rhinoceros lives mainly in Northern India and Nepal. These rhinos have a number of significant differences from their African relatives, the main one being their unique horn.
15. Water possum or swimming marsupial rat
Photo: wikimedia.commons.com
The water opossum is the only mammal in which both females and males have a special fold of skin (bag) on their belly. These animals do not like to gather in packs and rarely live longer than 3 years.
14. Marsh or water shrew
Photo: Tim Gage
This is the tiniest warm-blooded aquatic creature in the world (average weight about 13 grams)! The feet of the marsh shrew are hairy, and this helps it in swimming. By the way, shrews are even smaller.
13. Water vole or European water rat
Photo: Pixabay.com
Water voles are often confused with common rats, but this mammal is a member of the hamster family, not the mouse family. The European water rat lives in the area of river banks, near lakes and ponds.
12. Moose
Photo: Pixabay.com
Elk are the largest member of the deer family and are at home in the water. These animals can even dive!
11. Nutria
Photo: Norbert Nagel
This is a fairly large rodent from South Africa. Nutria eat aquatic plants, but sometimes they do not disdain shellfish.
10. Walruses
Photo: wikipedia.commons.com
Walruses are typical inhabitants of the Arctic Ocean, and they are incredibly social animals (live in large colonies). Walruses are easily distinguished by their massive tusks and unique vibrissae (dense bristles resembling whiskers). Most These mammals spend their lives on the coast, but they are able to dive to a depth of 55 meters for their prey.
9. Dugong
Photo: Julien Willem
This animal is very similar to the manatee, but it is still allocated to a separate order of sirens. Dugongs are found in the waters of Australia and East Africa, and they can spend 6 months at a time swimming.
8. Leopard seal
Photo: Cyfer13
Like the land leopard, the leopard seal is a bloodthirsty predator. These seals are excellent hunters and the only representatives of their family that feed on warm-blooded animals.
7. Cuvier's beaked whale or middle swimmer
Photo: Chris_huh
Cuvier's beaked whales are found in almost all oceans and even in some of the largest seas. While hunting, these amazing mammals are able to descend as much as 2000 meters below water level!
6. Californian porpoise
Photo: wikipedia.commons.com
This aquatic mammal is on the verge of extinction, but the rare animal was discovered quite recently - only in 1958. California porpoises live in the Gulf of Mexico, and due to poaching, their population has declined dramatically in just the last few years.
5. Humpback whale
Photo: Pixabay.com
These giant creatures are known for their unique songs, which can only be heard underwater, of course. Humpback whales weigh about 40 tons and grow up to 19 meters in length, but despite their enormous size, they are excellent swimmers and are able to cover considerable distances during their annual migrations.
4. Polar bear
Photo: Adam Bishop
Believe it or not, polar bears are also classified as aquatic mammals. Polar bears are simply created for living in conditions of eternal cold and for swimming in Arctic waters, because they have a fairly thick layer of subcutaneous fat, and their fur perfectly protects them from moisture. They look clumsy and cumbersome, but they are actually excellent swimmers and can accelerate up to 9.6 kilometers per hour in the water.
3. Harp seal
Photo: Claumoho
These seals love Northern Arctic Ocean And Atlantic Ocean. They can stay underwater on one breath for up to 15 minutes, and this ability allows them to successfully catch fish and crustaceans.
2. Orca
Photo: Pixabay.com
Killer whales are also sometimes called killer whales (due to an error in translating the species name from Spanish back in the 18th century). Killer whales are the largest members of the dolphin family and the most powerful predators in the world. They feed on other marine mammals and are known to hunt seals, dragging them underwater directly from drifting ice floes.
1. Bottlenose dolphin or bottlenose dolphin
Photo: Gregory “Slobirdr” Smith
This is one of the most known species dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins are very intelligent, sociable and highly trainable, and in the wild they are skilled hunters, tracking their prey using the method of echolocation.
