Can you name five different marine mammals? Unlike fish, which usually lay eggs and do not take care of their young, marine mammals give live birth, are warm blooded, breathe air and babies drink milk from their mother. Can you believe that whales even have hair at some point in their life? Dolphins have it on their beak when they are very young but humpbacks have it as adults too. Dolphins and whales spend all of their time in the ocean, while seals and sea lions spend parts of the year on land. Polar bears are considered marine mammals because they spend their time on the polar ice or near the ocean during summer months

Marine Mammals can be broken up into three main groups: cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians.

Pinnipeds (Seals and Sea Lions)
Pinnipeds spend their time between land and sea. They swim and move on land using flippers. The majority of their time is spent in water foraging for food or for swimming, where they are very agile. On land, movement is slow. They bear their young on land or ice flows, and also use land for molting and to get warmth from the sun. Some pinnepeds are: seals, sea lions and walruses.

Cetaceans (Whales and Dolphins)
Unlike the pinnipeds, cetaceans spend their entire life in the water. Family groups of cetaceans are sometimes called "pods". While cetaceans live in the water, they need to breathe air at the surface with their blowhole. Some whales can hold thier breath for extended periods of time. While the bottlenose whale can hold it for over an hour! Some cetaceans are: whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Sirenians (Manatees and Dugongs)
This group got their name from the word "siren", and the ancient Greek myths about mermaids that lured sailors into the sea. Sirenians spend their life in the water like the cetaceans. Some sirenians are: manatees and dugongs. There are no Sirenians in Alaska, but there used to be the Steller Sea cow, which was hunted to extinction by the 1768. They were hunted for food.

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In these activities you will learn about the different marine animals that live in Alaska. Do certain animals only live in the Arctic? How far to animals migrate in Alaskan waters? Is there a difference between summer and winter ranges? Are any Alaskan marine mammals endangered?

Marine Mammal IQ: (Grades 4-12)
How many animals can you identify? Start here!
Where do they live?: (Grades 4-12)
Where do marine mammals live in Alaska? Start here!
Marine Mammal Taxonomy: (Grades 9-12)
How do Alaska's marine mammals fit in the taxonomy structure? Start here!
Marine Mammal Taxonomy Quiz: (Grades 9-12)
How well did you learn your marine mammals? Take this quiz and find out! Start here!