The Marine Mammal Heart's hospital and visitor middle in Sausalito, California, has reopened to the general public! Book your visit today! Tickets are free however have to be reserved on-line prematurely. The word "pinniped" means fin- or flipper-footed and refers to the marine mammals which have front and rear flippers. Millions of years ago, the ancestors of we bare bears soft toy pinnipeds lived on land. These had been in all probability weasel- or bear-like animals that spent an increasing number of time in the ocean and finally adapted to this marine setting. Pinnipeds are separated into three groups: earless seals, eared seals and walruses. This group consists of seals, sea lions and walruses -- animals that reside within the ocean but are ready to come on land for lengthy intervals of time. Sometimes referred to as earless seals or true seals, marine mammals within the phocid household could be easily recognized by looking at their ears and flippers. They also have small front flippers and move on land by flopping alongside on their bellies, a movement known as "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've ear holes but no external ear flaps. You can acknowledge these animals by their flippers and ears. Sea lions and fur seals are part of the otariid family and are generally known as eared seals. Not like true seals, otariids have exterior ear flaps. Their front flippers are large, and on land they're able to deliver all 4 flippers underneath their bodies and stroll on them. In the water, they swim using their front 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 in the nineteenth century. Walruses are in a household of their very own known as the odobenids. Fur seals, in spite of getting the phrase "seal" of their title, are literally carefully related to sea lions. They've air sacs in their neck that can inflate to permit them to float as if they're carrying life preservers. Walruses are certainly one of the largest pinnipeds, with males reaching over 3,000 pounds. They reside within the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans, within the arctic area. Each males and females have tusks and vacuum-like mouths for sucking up shellfish from the ocean floor. Canadian laws, but restricted hunting by the Inuit folks is allowed. Walruses are protected underneath U.S. The Marine Mammal Heart cares about your privateness. Learn our privacy coverage.