This section showcases marine mammals, which like their terrestrial counterparts give birth to young ones and nurse them, breathe air, are warm blooded and are the biggest in size in the marine realm. Fun fact: the biggest animal on the planet is the Antarctic blue whale! Although they breathe air, they depend on the oceans for survival as this is where they get their food. Marine mammals are uniquely adapted to the marine environment. They can stay under water for extended periods of time and many species can dive to depths averaging 1,500 - 2,000m - a feat made possible by large lungs and very high levels of haemoglobin present in their blood which binds more oxygen. Common examples of this group include dugongs, whales, dolphins, seals and porpoises, many of which are unfortunately threatened by commercial whaling, entanglement, and pollution.
Illustrated by Gayatri Jawali
( Sousa plumbea )
Spotted in waters from surface to about 20 m. They are seen in a variety of different habitats such as seagrass beds, coral reefs, mangrove channels as well as near rocky intertidal areas.
Growing up to 2.8 m in length, they have a fatty bulge or hump on the back. They are usually grey coloured with darker grey on the upper half and lighter grey on the lower. You are likely to find them in groups of around 12 individuals as they are highly social.
Fish, squid, octopus and crustaceans make up most of their diet.
Illustrated by Gayatri Jawali
Mahi Mankeshwar
( Stenella longirostris )
Inhabit coastal waters. They are usually spotted when they come closer to the surface, but are known to dive as deep as 200 m.
Spinner dolphins are small for their kind with the adults growing up to about 2.35 m in length. They exhibit a combination of three colours. The upper part of their body being more dark grey while the sides are a lighter grey and the belly or underside of their body being white. The most prominent feature is a dark band that originates from the eye and ends at their flippers. They are well-known for their acrobatic displays at the water surface.
They feed on small fish, squids and shrimp.
Illustrated by Gayatri Jawali
( Neophocaena phocaenoides )
Spotted in shallow inshore waters in mangrove areas and waters close to river mouths. They can dive as deep as 100 m!
Reaching a maximum length of about 1.5 m in length, the Indo-Pacific 'finless' porpoise is called so because of the lack of the fin on the top of their body. Their body is light grey in colour with some lighter patches around the mouth and some darker patches on their front flippers or fins. You are likley to spot them in pairs of two usually a mother and a calf. They are quite gentle moving and make clicking sounds that help in echolocation which they use to sense their surroundings and prey.
Feed on fish, crustaceans, squid and octopus.
Illustrated by Gayatri Jawali
( Dugong dugon )
Found in shallow warm waters close to the shore in seagrass ecosystems and mangroves. Usually spotted at depths of 10 m or less.
The inspiration for the mermaid myth, the mesmerizing dugongs are one of a kind. They have a large bulky and cylinder like body. Their skin, is smooth and thick with a cream colour that darkens as they age. Sometimes, the skin can also changes colour due to algae growth as well. Their tail resembles that of dolphins and swim similarly by flapping their tail up and down. They are long lived and can reach the age of 70!
They mainly feed on seagrass and hence are referred to as the sea cows.
Zamin Syed
Zamin Syed
( Megaptera novaeangliae )
A migratory species, they are found along the coasts and sometimes swim close to shores and harbors.
dummySingers of the ocean, the humpback whales have a distinctive body shape. They have large fins on the sides of their body with a fin on the top of their body located on their humped back for which they are named. These fins are what you would usually see when spotting them. Humpback whales can reach up to a maximum length of about 17 m. The upperside of the body is black while the underside of the body has a mix of black and white which differ between individuals. They are known for their surface behaviour where they breach (jump high up), fin slapping and amazing vocalizations.
They feed mainly on krill and small schooling fish.
Mankeshwar et.al. The Rufford Foundation 2017
( Lagenodelphis hosei )
Prefer to inhabit areas with deep waters and hence, often spotted in the pelagic ocean. However, they can be spotted when they come along the coast.
Fraser's dolphins can grow up to about 2.5 m in length. They are characterized by their small fins on the side and on the top of their body in comparison to their body size. The upper half of their body is a gray-blue to brown colour. They have a distinctive cream coloured line that runs on the sides of their body from the head all the way to below their tail, below this line they have a darker coloured line. The belly and throat of are coloured white and some might also exhibit a pink colour.
Feed on fish, crustaceans, squid and octopus.
Mankeshwar et.al. The Rufford Foundation 2017
Mankeshwar et.al. The Rufford Foundation 2017
( Grampus griseus )
They have been recorded to dive as deep as 600 m. They prefer the pelagic ocean with deeper waters, but are often found frequeting coastal waters too.
Growing up to about 3 m in length, Risso's dolphins have a big round shaped head and a big fin located on the top of their body called the dorsal fin. This fin is what one might usually spot when the dolphins come up to the surface waters. They are known to be the largest species of dolphin. In terms of their colour, they are grey brown coloured on the top half of the body while the lower half is a cream colour. As they grow older, the grey brown areas darken to an almost black colour however, this does differ between individuals. An interesting feature of these dolphins is the presence of many scars on their body which result from social interaction with one another.
They mainly feed on squid, octopus and fish.