Quick Facts

 

 

 

This is random trivia that can be used to make tests, expand knowledge or use wherever seen fit.

 
  1. "Cetaceans" means "whales and dolphins." DARLING CETACEANS educate about all marine mammals, but it's founders started with cetaceans (si TAY shuns).
  2. Grey whales can migrate over 6,000 miles round trip from the coast of Mexico to the Arctic and back. They feed in the summers in the north and give birth in the southern waters in the winter.
  3. The movie Andre was based on a true story about a seal that lived in Maine. In the movie, a sea lion played the role of Andre.
  4. Manatees are listed as an endangered species for Texas, even though there are no resident populations.
  5. The largest animal ever known is the blue whale. Some scientists believe there were dinosaurs that were larger, but there is no known evidence.
  6. The whale shark is not a whale at all. It is a large fish that is part of the shark family.
  7. The largest dolphin is the Killer whale. They can grow to be about 30 feet long.
  8. There are currently 33 species of pinnipeds in the world (seal, sea lions & walruses). Some species are heavily populated, while others face a grim future.
  9. Manatees are related to elephants, even though they are nicknamed sea cows.
  10. Both male and female walruses have tusks. The males' (bulls) can reach 3 feet, while the females (cows) reach 2 feet. 
  11. The forehead of a  beluga is called the melon. Belugas can make a variety of noises using the melon and so are nicknamed "canaries of the sea."
  12. Spinner dolphins can leap into the air and spin as much as 7 times before landing back in the water.
  13. Stellar's sea cows were the largest of the sirenians, measuring 30 feet (9 m) and weighing 4 tons. They were hunted to extinction between 1741 and 1768.
  14. The Gulf of Mexico contains at least 28 species of cetaceans, though some, like the blue whale, have only been seen passing through and are not considered to be residents.
  15. Evidence of the walrus appears 15 million years ago.
  16. "Pinniped" means "web footed," referring to the hind flipper(s). The pectoral fins (arms) of seals contain similar "finger" bones that humans have in our hands.
  17. Vaquitas are the smallest known cetacean. Living only in a small area of the Gulf of California, they are highly endangered (only about 150 left).
  18. Some species of seals have only been observed on the ice. When seasons change and the ice melts, scientists can only guess where the seals might go.
  19. "Critter cams" are cameras that are attached to seals, dolphins, sea turtles and other species to see what they do when people are not around or cannot go where the animal goes (under ice, in caves, etc).

 

 

 
 

This site was last updated 04/21/08