Animal Encyclopedia Category: Marine Mammals

The West Indian manatee, like all sea cows, is herbivorous. It primarily grazes on sea grasses and therefore spends most of its time in sea grass beds. As in most herbivores, this manatee’s brain is very small compared to its body size, likely because it does not have to develop complex hunting strategies to capture prey. It uses … Read more

Risso’s dolphins feed primarily on squid of all sizes (including the humboldt squid) and are therefore excellent divers, spending much of their feeding time at depth, hunting for their preferred prey. Scientists believe that much of the white scarring on the heads of these animals may be a result of aggressive interactions with large-bodied squids. Risso’s dolphins … Read more

Polar bears are aggressive predators, known for taking a variety of prey. They spend most of the year associated with Arctic sea ice, where they hunt ringed seal and bearded seal pups. Polar bears have an excellent sense of smell and can locate pups even when they are buried in snow dens. Polar bears can easily use their size … Read more

This species feeds on schooling, epipelagic and mesopelagic fishes and squids in the open ocean. Like their prey, pantropical spotted dolphins form large groups – typically composed of hundreds or even thousands of individuals – for hunting and socializing. They reach sexual maturity at approximately 10 to 12 years of age and live for at least 40 years. … Read more

Long-finned pilot whales are active predators that eat mostly squid, including relatively large-bodied species. They will also eat bony fishes when they are common. In some areas, the long-finned pilot whale can be observed forming mixed species groups with sperm whales (another toothed whale that feeds preferentially on squid) and also with smaller dolphins. Like all mammals, long-finned … Read more

Interestingly, though they are enormous, humpback whales are not predatory. They filter feed for tiny krill or small pelagic fishes and are totally harmless to people (other than through accidental collisions). This life history strategy is common among several large animals in the ocean, including the whale shark, the basking shark, and the other great whales. Like all … Read more

Harp seals are foraging predators that eat several dozen species of bony fishes and invertebrates. They will eat just about anything they can catch. Juveniles eat krill and other pelagic crustaceans, and the diet diversifies as they grow. Adult harp seals are eaten by killer whales and large sharks. Juveniles are eaten by polar bears and other terrestrial predators, including foxes … Read more

Sperm whales have several specialized physical characteristics that aid in this predatory behavior. They have large conical teeth for ensnaring their preferred prey. Like most active predators, they have large brains and in fact, the sperm whale has the largest brain of any animal on the planet. They also have the most powerful sonar of any animal, which … Read more

The walrus’s tusks are actually greatly elongated canine teeth. Both males and females have tusks, with the males’ being much longer. The largest tusks can reach lengths over three feet (one meter) long. They are used to fight to establish dominance hierarchies, to avoid predation, and to haul out on the ice surface to rest. They may also be … Read more

Steller sea lions are generalist predators that eat a variety of large, marine fishes (Pacific Cod, Pollack, salmons, flatfishes, etc.), along with squids and octopuses. They are known to pester fishers by eating fishes out of their nets, bringing them into dangerous contact with humans. As they are some of the largest animals throughout their range, steller … Read more