Photo provided
by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Pinnipeds
Among
marine mammals are the pinnipeds which include seals, sea lions
and walruses. These marine mammals live in two different "worlds".
They spend part of their lives on land and part of their lives
in water. On land they may look clumsy, but in the water they
can swim with a speed and grace that is truly wonderful to watch.
To help them swim, they have flippers instead of arms and legs.
The flippers look like fins which give them the name pinnipeds
meaning fin-footed. In general they have cigar-shaped bodies
that slip through the water easily. They have very strong muscles
which help them to be strong swimmers. They can open and close
their noses to breathe air and to keep water out when swimming
and diving. Their natural position for their nostrils is closed
since they spend such a great deal of time underwater. They have
a thick layer of fat (blubber) to keep them warm in the water.
Photo provided
by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Commercial
hunting of seals in the 18th and 19th century and in the early
20th century played a large role in pinniped population declines.
Seals were hunted for their oils and pelts.
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