The Marine Mammal Heart's hospital and visitor middle in Sausalito, California, has reopened to the general public! E-book your visit today! Tickets are free however must be reserved on-line upfront. The phrase "pinniped" means fin- or flipper-footed and refers to the marine mammals which have entrance and rear flippers. Tens of millions of years in the past, the ancestors of pinnipeds lived on land. These have been most likely weasel- or bear-like animals that spent increasingly more time within the ocean and ultimately tailored to this marine surroundings. Pinnipeds are separated into three groups: earless seals, eared seals and walruses. This group includes seals, sea lions and walruses -- animals that stay in the ocean however are able to come on land for long durations of time. Generally known as earless seals or true seals, marine mammals in the phocid family will be simply recognized by looking at their ears and flippers. They even have small entrance flippers and transfer on land by flopping along on their bellies, a motion called "galumphing." At sea, true seals transfer their rear flippers again and forth like a fish tail to propel themselves through the water. They have ear holes but no exterior ear flaps. You may recognize these animals by their flippers and ears. Sea lions and fur seals are a part of the otariid family and are typically referred to as eared seals. In contrast to true seals, otariids have external ear flaps. Their entrance flippers are large, and on land they're able to carry all 4 flippers beneath their our bodies and walk on them. In the water, they swim utilizing their front flippers like oars. They have longer flippers than sea lions, together with a luxuriant coat of fur that was so prized by hunters that it introduced them to the brink of extinction in the nineteenth century. Walruses are in a family of their own known as the odobenids. Fur seals, in spite of getting the word “seal” of their identify, are literally intently related to sea lions. They have air sacs in their neck that may inflate to allow them to float as if they are carrying life preservers. Walruses are certainly one of the biggest pinnipeds, with males reaching over 3,000 pounds. They reside in the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans, within the arctic region. Each males and females have tusks and small teddy bear online vacuum-like mouths for sucking up shellfish from the ocean floor. Canadian laws, but limited looking by the Inuit people is allowed. Walruses are protected under U.S. The Marine Mammal Middle cares about your privateness. Read our privateness coverage.