Sea Mammals

printable page

Sea mammals are some of the largest creatures in the world today. In fact, a whale (the Blue Whale) is the biggest creature that has ever lived in the world at any time (larger and heavier than the biggest dinosaur).

Around our coast we have a variety of sea mammals which include whales, dolphins and seals. We also have a species of porpoise. These sea mammals are very well-suited to their water environment and are all excellent swimmers. Their limbs are modified into flippers, paddles and/or flukes to help them move through the water.

Unlike fish, which are cold-blooded, sea mammals are warm-blooded. This means they need a thick insulation of bubber, which is fat under the skin, to keep out the cold of the deep open sea where they often hunt for food. This blubber makes them have a rounded look, which is not seen in fish.

In our A-Z we have described three whales (Killer Whale, Northern Minke Whale, Long-finned Pilot Whale), two dolphins (the Common Dolphin and the Bottle-nosed Dolphin); two seals (the Common Seal and the Grey Seal) as well as the Harbour Porpoise.

Dolphin (Bottle-nosed)

The Bottle-nosed Dolphin is a sea mammal that can be regularly seen along the coastline of west England and off the coast near Cornwall. It can also be seen in the Engli

Dolphin (Common)

The Common Dolphin is also called the Short-beaked Dolphin even though it has a medium to long beak. It is an open sea dolphin that is found in our northern, western and

Porpoise (Harbour)

The Harbour Porpoise is one of the smallest mammals of the sea, although it can grow up to nearly two metres in length and can weigh up to ninety kilogrammes. It also k

Seal (Common)

The Common Seal is also known as the Harbour Seal and is likely to be found along the sheltered east coast of England. It can also be seen from a seal observation point

Seal (Grey)

The Grey Seal is a large sea mammal that doesn’t seem to mind being in rough seas with heavy waves. It can be seen on the rocky west coasts of England as well as from

Whale (Killer)

The Killer Whale is a huge sea mammal that can reach nine metres in length and can weigh up to five tonnes. It is also known as the Orca Whale and is not a true whale, b

Whale (Long-finned Pilot)

The Long-finned Pilot Whale is also known as the Pilot Whale and it is not a true whale, but a member of the Dolphin family. It can be seen off the coast of south-west E

Whale (Northern Minke)

The Northern Minke Whale is also known as the Common Minke Whale. It is a large and impressive-looking sea mammal that can reach up to ten metres in length and can weigh

Wild England - an A-Z compendium of England's Native Wildlife