Wildlife: Mammals of the Watery World

byKatie Bagli

The biodiversity of aquatic animals is incredibly vast. There are species deep down in our oceans still waiting to be discovered. In fact, it is said that we know more about planet Mars than we know about our oceans! Amongst all these thousands of aquatic species, the most well-known are the larger mammals like whales, dolphins, porpoises, manatees and dugongs. Read on to discover some interesting features of aquatic mammals that are seen in the seas around India’s shores and in our rivers.

Dugong Mermaids of the Sea Dugongs, also known as sea cows, are herbivorous and graze on sea grasses. In fact, they have a horseshoe-shaped stiff upper lip with moustache-like bristles, which crush the sea grass before it is chewed by their molar teeth. You might wonder why they are called mer