The Marine Mammal Heart's hospital and visitor center in Sausalito, California, has reopened to the public! Ebook your visit today! Tickets are free however have to be reserved on-line in advance. The word "pinniped" means fin- or flipper-footed and refers to the marine mammals that have entrance and rear flippers. Thousands and thousands of years ago, the ancestors of pinnipeds lived on land. These had been probably weasel- or bear-like animals that spent an increasing number of time within the ocean and ultimately tailored to this marine surroundings. Pinnipeds are separated into three teams: earless seals, eared seals and walruses. This group contains seals, sea lions and walruses -- animals that stay in the ocean but are able to come back on land for lengthy intervals of time. Generally referred to as earless seals or true seals, marine mammals we bare bears soft toy within the phocid family will be easily identified by looking at their ears and flippers. They also have small front flippers and move on land by flopping along on their bellies, a motion called "galumphing." At sea, true seals move their rear flippers again and forth like a fish tail to propel themselves by means of the water. They have ear holes however no external ear flaps. You possibly can acknowledge these animals by their flippers and ears. Sea lions and fur seals are a part of the otariid household and are sometimes referred to as eared seals. Unlike true seals, otariids have external ear flaps. Their entrance flippers are giant, and on land they are able to carry all four flippers underneath their bodies and walk on them. Within the water, they swim utilizing their front flippers like oars. They have longer flippers than sea lions, along with a luxuriant coat of fur that was so prized by hunters that it brought them to the brink of extinction in the 19th century. Walruses are in a family of their very own known as the odobenids. Fur seals, in spite of getting the word "seal" of their title, are literally intently associated to sea lions. They have air sacs in their neck that may inflate to permit them to float as if they are carrying life preservers. Walruses are one of the biggest pinnipeds, with males reaching over 3,000 pounds. They reside within the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans, in the arctic area. Both males and females have tusks and vacuum-like mouths for sucking up shellfish from the ocean floor. Canadian laws, but restricted searching by the Inuit individuals is allowed. Walruses are protected under U.S. The Marine Mammal Center cares about your privateness. Learn our privacy policy.