Marine mammals are found throughout the world's oceans, and in some rivers and bodies of fresh water. Marine mammals include whales, dolphins, porpoises, manatees and dugongs, otters, polar bears, seals, fur seals and sea lions, and walruses. Rather than attempt to include complete natural history about marine mammals, we have included some images to illustrate the diversity of marine mammals and recommend that you consult your library to learn more. Recommended reading includes:
- Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (Perrin, Wursig, Thewissen, eds., Academic Press, 2002)
- National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World (National Audubon Society Field Guide Series.) (Folkens, Reeves, Stewart, Clapham, et al., Knopf, 2002)
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| Cetaceans - Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises |
Cetaceans are classified as mysticetes, having baleen plates, and odontocetes, having teeth. Cetaceans include all whales, dolphins and porpoises. Recommended reading includes
- "The World's Whales, the Complete Illustrated Guide" (Minasian, Balcomb, Foster, 1984, Smithsonian, ISBN 0-89599-014-8)
- "Sierra Club Handbook of Whales & Dolphins" (Leatherwood & Reeves, 1983, Sierra Club Books, ISBN, 0-8716-340-1)
- "Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises" (Carwardine & Camm, 1995, Dorling-Kindersley, ISBN 1564586200).
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| Pinnipeds -- Seals, Sea Lions, Fur Seals and Walruses |
Pinnipeds include phocids (earless seals, including elephant and monk seals), otarids (eared seals; fur seals and sea lions), and the walruses. Recommended reading includes
- "The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses" (Riedman, 1990, UC Press, ISBN 0-520-06497-6).
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| Hawaiian Marine Mammals. The North Pacific humpback whale is the focus of HWRF's research, yet the Hawaiian islands are home to many other marine mammal species. Large whales include sperm whales and (rarely) fin whales, small whales include false killer whale (pseudorca), pilot whale, various beaked whales and occasionally the pygmy killer whale, pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale. Melon-headed whales also seen occasionally, and there has been at least one unconfirmed sighting of a blue whale (may have been a fin), and occasional sightings of orcas. HWRF has documented a group of sei whales near Maui (2001). Dolphins include pantropical spotted ("Pacific spotted") dolphin, spinner dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, and occasionally Risso's dolphin. On rare occasions North Pacific right whales are observed in Hawaii -- one such observation is documented in a recent paper by Dr. Salden and Captain Jill Mickelsen. |
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