Puffin - Belarus

© ?

Used, sent by Sapic12

"Puffins are any of three small species of alcids (auks) in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. Two species, the Tufted Puffin and Horned Puffin, are found in the North Pacific Ocean, while the Atlantic Puffin is found in the North Atlantic Ocean.

All puffin species have predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build, and large beaks. They shed the colourful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving a smaller and duller beak. Their short wings are adapted for swimming with a flying technique under water. In the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times per minute in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface." In: Wikipedia

Sea otter - Portugal

© panthermedia

Unused, sent by "Sapic12"

"The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (31 and 99 lb), making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most marine mammals, the sea otter's primary form of insulation is an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom. Although it can walk on land, the sea otter lives mostly in the ocean." In: Wikipedia

Young seal - Germany

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Used, sent by Sapic12

So pretty this young seal!

White marlim in Azores - Portugal

© Luis Quinta (photo)

Unused, sent by Sapic12

"White marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) are large, elongated fish with a large upper jaw that forms a spear which is round in cross-section. They are dark blue to chocolate-brown in color. Although generally considered to be a rare and solitary species relative to other similar fish, white marlin occur in small groups consisting of several individuals." In: Wikipedia

Young and adult whales - Netherlands

© David Olsen (photo)

Unused, sent by Sapic12

What a fantastic photo! A young and an adult whale swiminig towards the rainbow.

Whale watching - Iceland

© MIXA design

Unused, sent by Sapic12

An advertise postacard of Elding company, promoting whale watching.

Harbor Seal - Netherlands

© Uitgeverij van der Meulen

Used, sent by Sapic12

"The harbor (or harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed of pinniped (walruses, eared seals, and true seals), they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Baltic and North Seas." In: Wikipedia

"Rascasso" fish - Portugal

© Alfredo da Conceição (ilustration) / Serviço Nacional de Parques, Reservas e Conservação da Natureza

Unused, sent by Sapic12

"Rascasso" is the portuguese name for the Scorpaena sp fish. According to Fishbase, in the USA is known as the California scorpionfish or sculpin.

RU-1608590 - Seals

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RU-1608590 sent by "Coralin"

"Pinnipeds, also known as fin-footed mammals (from Latin pinna, wing or fin, and ped-, foot), often generalized as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse group of fin-footed marine mammals which are semiaquatic comprising the families Odobenidae (the walrus), Otariidae (eared seals, sea lions, and fur seals), and Phocidae (earless seals). The family does not include cetaceans, otters, or sirenians." In: Wikipedia

I think those seals belong to Phocidae family, but I'm not sure.

JP-368163 - Orca whale

© www.nihon-rettou.jp

JP-368163 sent by "gururu-guruguru"

"The killer whale (Orcinus orca), also referred to as the orca whale or orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas. Killer whales as a species have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, walruses, and even large whales. Killer whales are regarded as apex predators, lacking natural predators.

Killer whales are highly social; some populations are composed of matrilineal family groups which are the most stable of any animal species. Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, which are often specific to a particular group and passed across generations, have been described as manifestations of culture." In: Wikipedia

Common dolphin, Azores - Portugal

© Nuno Sá (photo) / Ver Açor

Unused, sent by Sapic12

"Common dolphins live in both warm-temperate and tropical waters ranging from 40-60°N to 50°S. Long-beaked common dolphins mostly inhabit shallow, warm costal water. Short-beaked common dolphins are common "along shelf edges and in areas with sharp bottom relief such as seamounts and escarpments". Common dolphin have a varied diet consisting of many species of fish and squid. This includes both mesopelagic species and epipelagic schooling species. They have been recorded to make dives up to 200 metres (660 ft) deep.

Common dolphins can live in aggregations of hundreds or even thousands of dolphins. They sometimes associate with other dolphin species, such as pilot whales. They have also been observed bow riding on baleen whales, and they also bow ride on boats. They are fast swimmers (up to 60 km/h), and breaching behavior and aerial acrobatics are common with this species." In: Wikipedia

DE-2029205 - White shark

© Pölzer / Fl Online

DE-2029205 sent by "Neugierig"

"The great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a species of large lamniform shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. The great white shark is mainly known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached or exceeded 6 m (20 ft) in length, and 2,268 kg (5,000 lb) in weight. This shark reaches its maturity around 15 years of age and can have a life span of over 30 years." In: Wikipedia

BY-639962 - Fish

?

BY-639962 sent by "Child_of_post-rock"

I have no idea how this fish is called... Any clue?

FI-1401614 - Harbor seal at Sealife in Helsinki

© Sealife

FI-1401614 sent by pampula

"The harbor (or harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed of pinniped (walruses, eared seals, and true seals), they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Baltic and North Seas.

Harbor seals are brown, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. An adult can attain a length of 1.85 meters (6.1 ft) and a mass of 132 kilograms (290 lb). Females outlive males (30–35 years versus 20–25 years). Harbor seals stick to familiar resting spots or haulout sites, generally rocky areas (although ice, sand and mud may also be used) where they are protected from adverse weather conditions and predation, near a foraging area. Males may fight over mates underwater and on land. Females bear a single pup, which they care for alone. Pups are able to swim and dive within hours of birth, developing quickly on their mothers' fat-rich milk. Blubber under their skins helps to maintain body temperature." In: Wikipedia

DE-1261331 - Harp seal pup

© Getty Images

DE-1261331 sent by EliElfe


Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus)

"Harp seals spend relatively little time on land and prefer to swim in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. These sleek swimmers cruise the chilly waters and feed on fish and crustaceans. They can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes. Harp seals are sometimes called saddleback seals because of the dark, saddlelike marking on the back and sides of their light yellow or gray bodies.


Both sexes return each year to breeding grounds in Newfoundland, the Greenland Sea, and the White Sea. On this turf males fight for their mates, battling with sharp teeth and powerful flippers." In: National Geographic

Seahorse - Germany

© Photo: Fineas / Fotolia

Sent by Anja.

"Seahorse is the title given to forty-seven species of marine fish in the genus Hippocampus. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning "sea monster".

[…]Seahorses are named for their equine appearance. Although they are bony fish, they do not have scales but rather thin skin stretched over a series of bony plates, which are arranged in rings throughout their body. Each species has a distinct number of rings. Seahorses swim upright, another characteristic that is not shared by their close pipefish relatives, who swim horizontally. Unusual among fish, seahorses have a flexible, well-defined neck. They also sport a coronet on the head, which is distinct for each individual." In: Wikipedia

Common Bottlenose Dolphin - Portugal

© Sofoto

From the Alien RR from the Postcrossing Forum, "geminiscp" sent this lovely postcard with the commom bottlenose dolphin that also lives in Portugal  at Sado River (Setúbal)

"Tursiops truncatus, commonly known as the Common Bottlenose Dolphin, is the most well-known species from the family Delphinidae. Common bottlenose dolphins are the most familiar dolphins due to the wide exposure they receive in captivity in marine parks, dolphinarias, in movies, and television programs (for example Flipper). T. truncatus are the largest species of the beaked dolphins. They inhabit temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world, and are absent only from polar waters. The bottlenose dolphins previously known as T. truncatus, but recently the genus has been split into two, T. truncatus and T. aduncus. Although this species has been traditionally called the Bottlenose Dolphin, many authors have used the name Common Bottlenose Dolphin for this species since a second bottlenose dolphins species, the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, was described. The Common Bottlenose Dolphins inhabit warm and temperate seas worldwide. Considerable genetic variation has been described among members of this species, even between neighboring populations, and so many experts believe that there may be multiple species included within Tursiops truncatus." In: Wikipedia