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A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) A leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx). Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine (saltwater) ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), sea otters and polar bears.
Despite their underwater habitat, whales are mammals. Mammals are not solely terrestrial; some, including whales and dolphins, are fully aquatic the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology reports.
Marine mammals adaptation to deep and long duration breath-hold diving involves more efficient use of lungs that are proportionately smaller than those of terrestrial animals of similar size. The adaptations to the lungs allow more efficient extraction of oxygen from inhaled air, and a higher exchange rate of air of up to 90% of each breath.
The whale is also colloquially known as the "sea canary" on account of its high-pitched squeaks, squeals, clucks, and whistles. A Japanese researcher claimed that he taught a beluga to "talk" by using these sounds to identify three different objects, offering hope that humans may one day be able to communicate effectively with sea mammals. [15]
The most proliferative extant group are the marine mammals, such as Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises, with some freshwater species) and Sirenia (dugongs and manatees), who are too evolved for aquatic life to survive on land at all (where they will die of beaching), as well as the highly aquatically adapted but land-dwelling pinnipeds ...
Marine mammal adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle vary considerably between species. Both cetaceans and sirenians are fully aquatic and therefore are obligate ocean dwellers. Pinnipeds are semiaquatic; they spend the majority of their time in the water, but need to return to land for important activities such as mating, breeding and molting.
Report: You can help save the life of a marine mammal (whale, dolphin, seal) or sea turtle in trouble by calling the New England/Mid-Atlantic hotline at 1-866-755-6622, radioing the Coast Guard or ...
The whale ear has specific adaptations to the marine environment. In humans, the middle ear works as an impedance equalizer between the outside air's low impedance and the cochlear fluid's high impedance. In whales, and other marine mammals, there is no great difference between the outer and inner environments.