If you look closely at an elephant seal you notice black whiskers instead of the harbor seal's white whiskers. Mating occurs underwater. Growth in an aquatic bloom crossword clue map. Flukes, those big tail flippers that can be seen when a whale dives, and dorsal fins, those large sails on the back of whales, are also features to look for when whale spotting. Risso's can be distinguished by their blunt snouts and the amount of scarring on their bodies caused by fighting with other Risso's dolphis and with squid, their main food source. Underwater, it is used as a hammer to remove prey from the rocks, and on the surface it becomes an anvil on which to pound hard-shell animals to break them open.
If you miss the southern migration in winter, you have another chance to catch a gray whale sighting in late spring. They are among the relatively few tool-using animals in the world. However, the blue whale is less acrobatic than the humpback whale so less likely to fully breech out of the water. When first noticed, the flipper might be confused with the dorsal (back) fin of a whale or shark. Marine mammals are among the biggest attractions to Point Lobos. Growth in an aquatic bloom crossword clue puzzle. Clearly, the poster child of marine mammals is the sea otter. The gray whale is so unique that scientists classify it as the only member of the benthic whale family. Harbor seals don't migrate far from home. In 1946 the International Whaling Commission was established and 1986 the IWC banned commercial whaling in order to increase the whale stock. Growth begins at the holdfast where fronds, consisting of a stipe with numerous blades that are supported and pulled upward by the carbon monoxide-filled floats, lengthen as they seek the surface. When they sleep, they often wrap kelp over their bodies. After a gestation period of 6 to 8 months, sea otters usually give birth in the water. The drift, in turn, is partially broken down to become a valuable food source for grazers such as abalone and sea urchins, while the larger masses of drift become buffered areas protecting juvenile fishes and other inhabitants from severe wave action and predation.
China Cove beach is closed during pupping season but the trail above offers a bird's-eye view. Males gather near rookeries to compete with other males and attract females by slapping the water with their flippers. 5 feet long and weigh 60 to 85 pounds, with adult males being larger. But what most of us refer to as "kelp" is actually one form of algae – brown algae, Phaephyta, which seemingly dominates cool (50° F 10° C) waters off the North American Pacific coast. Growth in an aquatic bloom crossword clue code. These animals may travel alone or in groups. Then it's time to start the cycle again. A mature humpback whale will eat about 4000-5000 pounds of fish a day. Male orcas grow to about 25 feet in length and weigh about.
Although it is difficult to identify the species unless you have binoculars and know the different markings, there are a few signs you can look for. Perhaps, however, you might be looking at a transient animal, an elephant seal or a Steller sea lion. Nobody says, "Will I see a Cetacean? " There are inherent hazards that you will face. Point Lobos docents do a monthly count of the otters along the Reserve's coastline, and the US Geological Survey conducts a semiannual count along their entire range from Santa Barbara's Channel Islands to about Half Moon Bay (south of San Francisco). Possible Answers: Related Clues: - Like some pond growth. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are one of the main attractions at Point Lobos, and one of the most common questions from visitors is, "Where can I see otters? " Stellers are much larger and lighter in color than California sea lions, ranging from light tan to reddish brown. Several of these populations are considered endangered.
These destinations are the breeding grounds. They can be heard from most locations in the reserve. Seasons of marine mammals will help you understand when different marine mammals can be seen at Point Lobos. The favored foods of humpback whales are anchovies, squid, sardines, herring, krill – basically any small fish that swims in schools – and their baleen is used to take huge mouthfuls of fish and water, filter the water through the baleen back into the ocean, and swallow the retained fishes. Relating to seaweed. This behavior is called "porpoising. " They are graceful, curious and speedy swimmers, propelled by the webbed hind flipper. The sea lions at Point Lobos are mostly adult males and juveniles of both sexes. That is where these animals work to trap air to form a layer of insulation against the very cold water (50-55° F) where they spend most of their time. The largest dolphin species is the orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale.
Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are the largest of all whales and the largest animal on earth, reaching lengths of 100' and weighing up to 150 tons. Estimates of the number of hairs on this animal vary, but can be as high as one million per square inch! The blue whale, largest of all whales, has a spectacular vertical single-column spout of up to 38 feet! At the rookery the male tries to attract as many females as possible to his harem. This ecosystem is the great kelp forest. They are the deepest diving pinniped known with an average dive to 1800 feet and a maximum recorded depth of over 5000 feet. Longer and deeper dives are possible. The dorsal fins on their backs are larger, relative to body size, than the whales mentioned above.
But look carefully, as the otters blend in with the kelp when they sleep, and they wrap their bodies in the kelp to assure they won't float away while sleeping. They can also sleep while in water. Dolphins and Porpoises. When the hunt for food leads them to species desired by humans, such as salmon, fishermen sometimes consider the sea lions as competition. Bloom: pond vegetation. Offshore, the ocean stretches for thousands of miles and plunges to depths of two miles, and even deeper in some places. They are day-sleepers, frequently misunderstood as lazy if you don't realize they are nocturnal hunters. Like some pond life. But the menus of individual otters tend to be limited to 5-6 items – the prey their mothers taught them to eat. Males 5 years and older develop a bony bump on top of their skull called a sagittal crest. Killer whales have made appearances at Point Lobos during the gray whale migration from Baja to Alaska when the mother gray whale is traveling with her young calf from March through early May. The second blow hole in these whales' skulls is used for sonar location!
A marine mammal, like its land-dwelling counterpart, is warm-blooded, is fur-bearing or has rudimentary hairs, gives birth to live young, and nurses its offspring. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris). California Sea Lion. The time to most reliably see whales is during the gray whale migrations. The flipper is raised to help warm or cool the body – called thermoregulation. The northern Pacific blue whale is listed as endangered. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and blue whales sightings are what many visitors think of as "seeing a whale. " Due to this decline, Steller sea lions are now listed as a federally threatened species. The whales and dolphins ("cetaceans"), however, spend all their lives in the ocean, having relinquished their hind legs in the streamlining of their bodies to help them move through the water. Unfortunately seals can't out-swim their only predators – sharks and orcas. The largest concentration of Steller rookeries is in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands.
Since these whales begin their migration about the same time, they are often seen in groups, or pods. Old fronds that have died eventually become drift. The Pacific White-sided Dolphin is found year-round but is most abundant during warmer water regimes in fall & winter.