Put Your Marine Mammal Knowledge to the Test
- Natural history
How well do you know marine mammals? Test your knowledge! Only one of the statements below is true. Can you guess which one, or will you be fooled? Click Show More + to find out!
True or False: Northern elephant seals are the largest seal in the world.
False! Northern elephant seals are the second largest seal in the world after the southern elephant seal.
Adult males may grow over 13 feet in length and weigh up to 4,500 pounds. In fact, northern elephant seal pups are born weighing about 75 pounds. Sometimes, strong storms sweep young pups off the beach before they are ready to be on their own. That’s why during pupping season, our hospital is flooded with orphaned seal pups.
True or False: Steller sea lion pups usually stay with their mother and nurse for up to a month.
False! Steller sea lion pups usually nurse for a year, but some continue for up to three years.
Many of our Steller sea lion patients are pups that were separated from their mother too soon. At our hospital, Steller sea lion pups typically spend time with pen-mates of different ages and species as it helps them avoid habituating to humans while learning important behavior skills.
You can help the next animal in need when you adopt a past Steller sea lion patient.
True or False: Gray whales have one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal.
True! Gray whales travel about 12,000 miles each year.
During the summer, gray whales live in Arctic regions normally rich with food. As fall approaches, the whales travel to Baja California, Mexico, where they enter warm lagoons to mate and give birth. Gray whales can be seen passing by California in December and January during their southern migration, and again between March and May on their journey north.
Learn more about our work protecting whales, dolphins and porpoises.
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Yes, I want to save a life!
Yes, I want to save a life!
You’ll be giving sick and injured animals the best possible care at the Center’s state-of-the-art hospital. With your gift today, you are giving a patient a second chance at life in the wild.
See Our Latest News
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Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal Transported from Oʻahu via Mānana Island for Life-Saving Care
August 17, 2022
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Cecily Majerus, M.A., Named Chief Executive Officer of The Marine Mammal Center
July 25, 2022
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/Hawaiian monk seals\/2022\/cropped-images\/hms-rp92-by-sheila-latta-c-the-marine-mammal-center-noaa-permit-18786-16-3-4781-3734-1657733912.jpg","alt":"Hawaiian monk seal RP92","title":"Hook-Free and Headed Home: Hawaiian Monk Seal RP92 Released After Receiving Life-Saving Care","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/hook-free-and-headed-home-hawaiian-monk-seal-rp92-released-after-receiving-life-saving-care","label":"Press Release","date":"2022-07-13 02:00:00"}
Hook-Free and Headed Home: Hawaiian Monk Seal RP92 Released After Receiving Life-Saving Care
July 13, 2022
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SF Gate: Anchovies Are Reportedly Raining From the Sky Across San Francisco
June 28, 2022
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