The Marine Mammal Middle's hospital and customer center in Sausalito, California, has reopened to the public! Guide your visit in the present day! Tickets are free but should be reserved on-line in advance. The word "pinniped" means fin- or flipper-footed and refers back to the marine mammals that have entrance and rear flippers. Thousands and thousands of years in the past, the ancestors of pinnipeds lived on land. These were probably weasel- or bear-like animals that spent increasingly more time within the ocean and eventually adapted to this marine environment. Pinnipeds are separated into three groups: earless seals, eared seals and walruses. This group consists of seals, sea lions and walruses -- animals that stay in the ocean cute panda teddy however are in a position to come on land for lengthy intervals of time. Sometimes referred to as earless seals or true seals, marine mammals within the phocid family will be simply recognized by looking at their ears and flippers. They even have small front flippers and transfer on land by flopping alongside on their bellies, a motion referred to as "galumphing." At sea, true seals transfer their rear flippers back and forth like a fish tail to propel themselves through the water. They've ear holes but no exterior ear flaps. You may recognize these animals by their flippers and ears. Sea lions and fur seals are a part of the otariid family and are sometimes referred to as eared seals. In contrast to true seals, otariids
