RMOT 101 Marine mammals Day 1
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RMOT 101 Marine mammals Day 1 - Leaderboard
RMOT 101 Marine mammals Day 1 - Details
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| Pinnipedia characteristics | • Have flipper-shaped hands and feet for swimming • very thick blubber • bear young on land |
| Family Otariidae characteristics | • external ear flaps • Can rotate their rear limbs under their body, lift their head and shoulders above ground • Can walk on land ok • Swim by moving forelimbs, use hind limbs for stability |
| Stellar sea lion physical characteristics | • Largest Otariid • Females ~ 1/3 the weight of males • Golden brown colour call is a "roar" |
| What status are BC stellar sea lions? | Special Concern & Blue Listed |
| When and where do stellar sea lions breed? | June and July in outer coast rookeries (e.g., Scott Islands, Cape St. James) |
| Stellar sea lion prey | Pollock, hake, dogfish and salmon. Winters = herring and eulachon in Straight of Georgia |
| California sea lion physical characteristics | • Smaller than Stellers • Fur is dark brown • Adult males have brow ridge (“indented forehead”) • Utters a “honking bark” |
| California sea lion diet | Hake, herring, salmon |
| Northern fur seal characteristics | • Dense & soft dark gray brown fur • long whiskers, pointed noses, long hind flippers |
| Northern fur seal status | Red listed, Threatened - Hunted extensively for fur in 1800s |
| Northern fur seal habitat and diet | • Mainly found offshore; occasionally seen in coastal waters • While in BC, feed on herring & salmon |
| Northern fur seal reproduction and migration | • Breed on Prilobof Island in Berring sea during summer • Females and juveniles migrate south to California |
| Northern fur seal reproduction and migration | • Breed on Prilobof Island in Berring sea during summer • Females and juveniles migrate south to California |
| Family Phocidae characteristics | • Cannot rotate hindlimbs under body • Therefore move awkwardly on land (“wriggle”) • Swim using their hind limbs and steer with forelimbs • Lack external ear flaps |
| Harbour seal characteristics | - sexes are similar in size - Usually mottled grey in appearance |
| Harbour seal diet and habitat | • Opportunistic feeders on several fish • Pups often left on shore while mother forages • Found all along BC coast • Usually seen resting on “haul outs’ (e.g. rocky reefs, sand bars, log booms) • Apparently little social structure in haul outs |
| Northern elephant seal migration and distribution | • Breed on northern California beaches in winter • In BC from spring to fall; often seen hauled out on Race Rocks |
| Northern elephant seal feeding | • Feed mainly offshore (dogfish, pollock, hake) • Excellent deep sea divers |
| Northern elephant seal feeding | • Feed mainly offshore (dogfish, pollock, hake) • Excellent deep sea divers |
| Order Cetacea characteristics | Lack hind limbs Nostrils on top of head Swim using up and down movement of tail |
| Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales) characteristics | • Have homodont dentition (teeth are all same shape) • Single blow hole (other nasal passage modified for echolocation) • Most have a complex social structure |
| How do you tell male and female orcas apart? | Males = Long straight dorsal fin Females = shorter curved dorsal fin |
| Characteristics of resident killer whales | - very vocal, travel in matrilineal family groups (pods) of 5-50 whales - 19 pods in BC, each with different dialects - feed primarily on fish, especially chinook salmon - divided into northern and southern populations |
| Characteristics of transient killer whales | - smaller groups of 2 to 5 individuals that may or may not be related - vocalize less than residents; dorsal fins more pointed at tip than residents - feed exclusively on warm-blooded prey e.g. seals, sea lions and porpoises |
| Characteristics of offshore killer whales | - mainly seen beyond continental shelf; travel in groups of 25 or more - have different vocalizations than residents and transients - Rarely seen not much known about their social structure or diet |
| What is the status of each of the killer whale populations in BC? | - Southern resident = Red listed/endangered - Northern resident = Threatened, Blue listed - Transient = Threatened, Red listed - Offshore = Threatened, Blue listed |
| What are some potential reasons for the recent drop in orca populations? | – accumulation of environmental toxins (e.g., PCBs) – fluctuations in prey species (e.g., decreases in salmon runs) -- Some concern eco-tourism affecting feeding behaviour |