The Marine Mammal Middle's hospital and visitor center in Sausalito, California, has reopened to the general public! Guide your go to in the present day! Tickets are free but should be reserved online in advance. The word "pinniped" means fin- or flipper-footed and refers to the cute panda teddy marine mammals which have front and rear flippers. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the ancestors of pinnipeds lived on land. These have been probably weasel- or bear-like animals that spent an increasing number of time in the ocean and eventually tailored to this marine setting. Pinnipeds are separated into three groups: earless seals, eared seals and walruses. This group includes seals, sea lions and walruses -- animals that stay within the ocean however are able to come back on land for long periods of time. Typically referred to as earless seals or true seals, marine mammals in the phocid family may be simply identified 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 known as "galumphing." At sea, true seals move their rear flippers again and forth like a fish tail to propel themselves by the water. They've ear holes however no external ear flaps. You'll be able to acknowledge these animals by their flippers and ears. Sea lions and fur seals are a part of the otariid household and are typically referred to as eared seals. Not like true seals, otariids have external
