Sea Mammals

What is the loudest animal on earth? Blue whales have a low frequency pulse as loud as 188 decibels - louder than a jet engine - and can be detected more than 500 miles away.

What is the biggest mammal in the world? Blue whales are the largest mammals of all time. Females grow to 79-89 feet long and weigh well over 100 tons. The heaviest blue whale ever recorded weighed 190 tons, and the record for the longest blue whale is more than 108 feet. Both of these animals were captured near the Shetland Islands in 1926. African elephants are the heaviest land animal. Large males can weigh more than 13,000 pounds and are 12 feet tall at the shoulder.

What is the fastest mammal in the water, and how fast can they swim? Doll porpoises and killer whales and can each swim up to 35 mph, or 56 km/hr.

Which sea mammal has the longest migration? Both gray whales and northern elephant seals are the champions, migrating up to 13,000 miles round trip each year.

How long do seals live? The greatest age recorded is 43 years for a ringed seal captured on Baffin Island. Life span was measured by counting the growth layers in the teeth.

How fast can seals swim? The record holder is the California sea lion, who has been clocked at 25 miles per hour.

What's the difference between seals and sea lions? Seals swim with their rear flippers, and steer with their front ones. Sea lions swim with their front flippers, and steer with their back ones.

Which animal sings the longest and most complicated songs? The hump-backed whale.