The Marine Mammal Heart's hospital and customer heart in Sausalito, California, has reopened to the public! Ebook your visit today! Tickets are free but must be reserved on-line prematurely. The phrase "pinniped" means fin- or flipper-footed and refers back 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 in all probability weasel- or bear-like animals that spent more and more time in the ocean and eventually adapted to this marine setting. Pinnipeds just6f.com/ are separated into three teams: earless seals, eared seals and walruses. This group includes seals, sea lions and walruses -- animals that reside within the ocean however are able to come on land for long durations of time. Typically known as earless seals or true seals, marine mammals within the phocid family will be easily recognized by taking a look at their ears and flippers. They also have small front 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 by means of the water. They have ear holes but no external ear flaps. You possibly can acknowledge these animals by their flippers and ears. Sea lions and fur seals are part of the otariid family and are typically referred to as eared seals. In contrast to true seals, otariids have external ear flaps. Their front flippers are giant, and on land they are able to carry all four flippers underneath their our bodies and stroll on them. Within the water, they swim using their entrance flippers like oars. They've longer flippers than sea lions, together with a luxuriant coat of fur that was so prized by hunters that it brought them to the brink of extinction within the 19th century. Walruses are in a household of their own referred to as the odobenids. Fur seals, in spite of getting the word “seal” in their identify, are literally intently related to sea lions. They've air sacs in their neck that can inflate to allow them to float as if they are carrying life preservers. Walruses are one in all the biggest pinnipeds, with males reaching over 3,000 pounds. They dwell within the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans, within the arctic region. Both males and females have tusks and vacuum-like mouths for sucking up shellfish from the ocean flooring. Canadian laws, however restricted hunting by the Inuit people is allowed. Walruses are protected below U.S. The Marine Mammal Heart cares about your privacy. Learn our privacy coverage.