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  1. Marine mammals have special adaptations that allow them to live a life in the ocean. Some marine mammals can split their time between land and sea, while some must spend their entire life at sea. In this article, we will be covering the different types of marine mammals.

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  3. Feb 1, 2019 · Marine mammals are classified into four different taxonomic groups: cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), and marine fissipeds (polar bears and sea otters).

  4. Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine (saltwater) ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans ( whales , dolphins and porpoises ), pinnipeds ( seals , sea lions and walruses ), sirenians ( manatees and dugongs ), sea otters and polar bears .

    • Cetaceans (Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises) Cetaceans differ greatly in their appearance, distribution, and behavior. The word cetacean is used to describe all whales, dolphins and porpoises in the order Cetacea.
    • Pinnipeds. The word "pinniped" is Latin for wing- or fin-footed. Pinnipeds are found all over the world. The pinnipeds are in the order Carnivora and suborder Pinnipedia, which includes all the seals, sea lions, and the walrus.
    • Sirenians. Sirenians are animals in the Order Sirenia, which includes manatees and dugongs, also known as "sea cows," probably because they graze on sea grasses and other aquatic plants.
    • Mustelids. The mustelids are the group of mammals that include weasels, martens, otters, and badgers. Two species in this group are found in marine habitats - the sea otter (Enhydra lutris), which lives in Pacific coastal areas from Alaska to California, and in Russia, and the sea cat, or marine otter (Lontra felina), which lives along the Pacific coast of South America.
    • Baleen whales (suborder Mysticeti) A North Atlantic right whale with mouth open to show baleen. Photo: © Nick Hawkins.
    • Toothed whales (suborder Odontoceti) A harbor porpoise spotted just off the Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Photo: Ari Friedlaender / © IFAW.
    • Sea cows (Sirenia) Dugong swimming underwater.
    • Pinnipeds. A juvenile harbor seal resting on a jetty. Photo: Andrea Spence / © IFAW.
  5. There are 130 described species of marine mammals living in the earth’s oceans. They are divided into three orders: Cetacea (dolphins, whales, and porpoises), Sirenia (sea cows), and Carnivora (carnivores). Within those orders are several suborders and families.

  6. There are five groups of marine mammals: pinnipeds (or “flipper-footed” animals like seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses), cetaceans (species that cannot survive on land, such as whales, dolphins and porpoises), sea otters (the smallest marine mammal), sirenians (warm water species such as dugongs and manatees) and polar bears (which ...

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