Pinnipeds

Pinnipeds are fin-footed marine mammals that include seals, sea lions and walruses. They feed in water but return to land or ice to rest and reproduce. Their bodies combine insulating fat with limbs modified into flippers for swimming and movement ashore. True seals, eared seals and walruses differ in ears, flippers and ways of traveling on land. Fish, squid and bottom-dwelling animals are important foods, depending on the species. Breeding gatherings can range from scattered pairs to dense colonies.