Discovery Channel

Marine Mammal Pictures

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Elephant seals are the only pinnipeds that are longer and ... — Elephant seals are the only pinnipeds that are longer and heavier than walruses. They're the largest pinnipeds in the world. Of course, they're small compared with the marine mammal up next, which is easy to see when a humpback breaches.

The humpback whale is a baleen whale that lives in ... — The humpback whale is a baleen whale that lives in all the oceans of Earth. It can reach a length of 62 feet (19 meters) and has a tapered head and enormously long, thin flippers. Up next is another popular marine animal with flippers.

Flippers, or fins, help whales and dolphins steer and propel ... — Flippers, or fins, help whales and dolphins steer and propel themselves through the water. Here, a spotted dolphin does a nose dive off the coast of Grand Turk Island. Let's hope it misses the muddy bottom, unlike the next sea creature.

This bearded seal's head is dyed red from the high ... — This bearded seal's head is dyed red from the high iron content of ocean mud in which it hunts for shrimp and clams. Back to a cleaner ocean swimmer next.

The pilot whale is a toothed whale related to the ... — The pilot whale is a toothed whale related to the dolphin. Pilot whales grow to be 25 feet (7.6 meters) long. These short-finned pilot whales are black with white patches on their chins. See one of the 37 dolphin species next.

The Hector's dolphin is found off the coast of New ... — The Hector's dolphin is found off the coast of New Zealand and is one of the smallest dolphins. Next, see the largest creature in the water.

The blue whale is easily the largest animal in the ... — The blue whale is easily the largest animal in the ocean -- and on Earth. Next up, another marine mammal full of blubber.

A male walrus can grow 11 feet (3.4 meters) long ... — A male walrus can grow 11 feet (3.4 meters) long and weigh 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms). Walruses are protected from the cold by a layer of fat called blubber and by thick, wrinkled, almost hairless skin. See another Arctic marine mammal next.

The narwhal is a toothed whale found in Arctic waters ... — The narwhal is a toothed whale found in Arctic waters near Canada and Greenland. The male narwhal has a long, spiraled tusk, which is actually a tooth that protrudes through the skin. See a "wolf of the sea" next.

An orca's scientific name comes from the mythical Orcus -- ... — An orca's scientific name comes from the mythical Orcus -- the Roman god of death and the underworld. In North America, the indigenous Haida call them "killer demons." Next up, a warmer, cuddlier -- and more furry -- sea creature.

The fur seal, like this Galapagos Islands fur seal, has ... — The fur seal, like this Galapagos Islands fur seal, has not one, but two layers of fur that cover its body. This thick fur keeps the animal warm and dry. Fur seals swim fast with their front flippers. Still, the fur seal probably can't outswim the largest of the toothed whales, up next.

Male sperm whales grow to be about 60 feet (18 ... — Male sperm whales grow to be about 60 feet (18 meters) long, and females grow to be about 40 feet (12 meters). Sperm whales can dive to depths of 7,000 feet (2,134 meters) or more. See a dolphin that's used in research on animal communication.

The bottlenose dolphin is found in warm and temperate North ... — The bottlenose dolphin is found in warm and temperate North American coastal waters. It's dark gray above with lighter underparts, can grow up to be 12 feet (3.7 meters) long and feeds on fish, squid and crabs. See who lives in shallow kelp beds next.

Sea otters float around on their backs, using their webbed ... — Sea otters float around on their backs, using their webbed feet to paddle about in the water. When napping, they often wrap themselves in kelp to prevent drifting away. Our next marine mammal can just nap underwater if it wants to.

Beaked whales can swim, or maybe nap, underwater for up ... — Beaked whales can swim, or maybe nap, underwater for up to two hours. Scientists think that beaked whales use their teeth for fighting rather than for eating. They might feed by sucking up prey, which consists mostly of squid. See an aquatic mammal that feeds by a different method next.

Crabeater seals have modified teeth that make filter feeding easy. ... — Crabeater seals have modified teeth that make filter feeding easy. Krill makes up 94 percent of the diet of this Antarctic seal. Up next, an Arctic seal of an even lighter color.

The pup's fur, which is yellowish the first few days ... — The pup's fur, which is yellowish the first few days of its life due to the fluids in its mother's womb, soon turns a vibrant and beautiful white when it is finally bleached. Our next image shows an ocean skimmer.

Right whales are "skimmers." A right whale skims slowly near ... — Right whales are "skimmers." A right whale skims slowly near the sea surface, continuously straining seawater through its baleen. See the smallest of the toothed whales next.

The porpoise resembles a dolphin, but this toothed whale is ... — The porpoise resembles a dolphin, but this toothed whale is smaller, seldom more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) long, and has a blunt muzzle instead of a pointed one. Porpoises have thick bodies and either have one dorsal fin or none. Some marine mammals have fins, and some have ears: An otariid is up next.

Otariid stands for "little ear," a characteristic of sea lions ... — Otariid stands for "little ear," a characteristic of sea lions and fur seals. Sea lions also have large, hairless flippers that help them maneuver on land. In fact, sea lions can rotate their hind flippers toward the ground so they can walk on four appendages. Next up, a sea mammal with only two appendages that's on the endangered species list.

Manatees are about 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh ... — Manatees are about 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms). All three species of manatees are in danger because of habitat destruction, water pollution and hunting. Next up, take a look at one of the manatee's threatened relatives.

The dugong looks and behaves much like a manatee, but ... — The dugong looks and behaves much like a manatee, but has a fluked tail that more closely resembles the whale. This dugong is rooting for food underwater. The threatened dugongs often are targets for coastal hunters, much like the whale up next.

Hunting beluga whales is nothing new; native hunters value them ... — Hunting beluga whales is nothing new; native hunters value them for food, oil and "leather." The beluga whale is related to the narwhal; belugas are about 11 to 18 feet (3.4 to 5 meters) long. Up next: an Arctic sea mammal threatened by hunting and other human behavior.

Polar bears are strong swimmers, but their populations are weak ... — Polar bears are strong swimmers, but their populations are weak and threatened. Hunting is one reason, but melting ice from global warming is a bigger problem. These swimmers need ice surfaces for breeding and hunting food to eat. The next marine mammal opens up wide for some fish.

This is the inside of a baleen whale's mouth. Baleen ... — This is the inside of a baleen whale's mouth. Baleen whales leave their mouths open as they swim slowly through swarms of small fish or animal plankton and strain the morsels for a big meal. The whale probably moves trapped food in the baleen around with its tongue. Now that you've seen the mammals of the sea, check out our saltwater fish pictures!

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