WATER ANIMALS

Dolphins

These offshore dolphins are found in pods ranging from a few animals to several hundreds. They are small, fast, and agile and the calves can keep up with their mothers from an early age. Common dolphin often breach and bow ride with boats, displaying the very distinctive figure of eight pattern on their sides. Frenzied activity may be seen when a group of dolphins work together to drive shoaling fish to the surface, often attracting seabirds such as gannets.

 

 

 

 

 

Nice stamps.

Received from: Ichabodhides

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: saartwinkel

 

  

Seals

Seals can be found in all waters of the world, from the Arctic and Antarctic to tropical waters. They belong to the order Pinnipedia, which means "fin-footed". Pinnipeds have four flippers - one pair in front, and one pair in back. Pinnipeds are mammals. They're warm-blooded, give live birth, nurse their young, breathe air, and have hair. Eared seals (sea lions and fur seals) have external ear flaps and are able to use their flippers for walking on land by rotating their hind flippers forward. While swimming, they use their front flippers for power. All seals are carnivores. Their diet consists mostly of fish, crustaceans and shellfish.

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: Nordfriesland

Saimaan norppa

The Saimaa ringed seal is a subspecies of ringed seal. They are among the most endangered seals in the world, having a total population of only about 310 individuals. The only existing population of these seals is found in Lake Saimaa, Finland (hence the name). The population is descended from ringed seals that were separated from the rest when the land rose after the last ice age. This seal, along with the Ladoga Seal and the Baikal Seal, is one of the few living freshwater seals. They are coloured dark gray, with a gray-black dorsal with circular white rings. The Saimaa ringed seal has been protected since 1955. In order to protect the Saimaa ringed seal, there are voluntary fisheries restrictions in a part of their living areas.

Finnish EUROPA stamp.

Received from: Saint