Image Credit : Worldwildlife

The critically endangered turtles are a crucial part of marine ecosystems in oceans around the world. They can be found amongst coral reefs, and can be identified by their pointed beaks and overlapping scales on their shells. Scientists have said that sea turtles have traversed our seas for more than 100 million years, but as of now there are only about 8,000 nesting females left on earth. Other threats that they face include being hunted for their eggs, meat and shells, as well as beach erosion which causes them to lose their nesting habitat.

Image Credit : News.cgtn.com

Indegenious peoples have loved these huge sea lions for centuries, hunting them for their meat, oils and hides. Male sea lions are larger than their female counterparts, and both sexes use their whiskers to feel underwater and use their strong front flippers to swim. Sea lions live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean, and are often found in large groups. As commercial fishing businesses emerge, sea lion population has also declined due to factors like the lack of protection from shootings and harmful algae blooms that pollute the waters.

Image Credit : Whalescientists

Hector’s dolphins are the rarest and smallest species in the dolphin family, and can be spotted by their Mickey Mouse looking ears and short body. You can find them residing off the coasts of New Zealand. Like sea lions, these mammals often swim in groups of two to twenty, and become very excited when they perform stunts to attract potential partners. Because they live so close to the shorelines, these dolphins are at high risk of being entangled in trawl nets if they accidentally swim into them.

Image Credit : Worldwildlife

Known as the cousins of manatees, they graze on seagrass in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. These ‘sea cows’ are rather hard to spot, as their shyness and preference for muddy waters mean that they are usually in hiding. The herbivores are threatened by the degradation of seagrass because of industrial activities and commercial development. Once they do not have sufficient seagrass to feed on, they are not able to breed normally, which is a concern due to their slow breeding but long lifespan.

Image Credit : Hatcheryinternational

Like many salmon, Chinook Salmons live a complicated life cycle of various migrations and seasons in different habitats. It’s one of the biggest kinds of salmon, and can grow up to 1.5 metres in length. As an invaluable food source, the Chinook are of high economic and ecological value to its marine ecosystems. Population has been declining up to 60% since conservationists have been keeping track in the 1980s. Reasons that contribute to this include dams which interfere with migration and loss of habitat.

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Hammerheads love to feed on stingrays and smaller sharks, and detect prey by following their scent. Live shark fishing causes irreversible harm to sharks as their bodies are mercilessly dumped at sea. Most do not survive this ordeal; in fact, the sharks are already dead even before being tossed back into the water. And due to the unique shape of their heads, it is easy for them to be trapped in gillnets. Australian organisations have been hard at work trying to stop overfishing, but time will tell if it's too late.

Image Credit : Nature.org

Swift, deadly and armed with a killer instinct from the moment they hatch, bluefin tunas are proficient hunters who prey on eels, herring and mackerels. Gifted with amazing vision and the ability to regulate its body temperature, they can comfortably cross the Atlantic in a matter of weeks. Out of three species of bluefin tuna, the largest Atlantic ones are the most endangered. Numerous food industries catch or buy tuna for sushi or canned food, which only quickens their rate of population decrease.

Image Credit : Inhabitat

Cute, lovable and friendly are just some ways to describe these creatures. Sea otters are the second smallest marine mammal, and love to float on their backs with stones on their chest. When resting, sea otters will wrap themselves with kelp to keep warm. They help to maintain healthy and vibrant kelp forests, which in turn keeps carbon dioxide levels low. Their population used to be in the thousands in the pre-1900s. However, fur trade and oil spills have since caused numbers to plummet.

Conclusion

Do travel to catch a glimpse of these dear animals before it is too late! Get yourself ready at our Condo Swimming Lessons before you progress to learn other skills that would bring you up close and personal with these animals such as scuba diving and snorkelling.

I’m Isabel, your friendly uni student who’s always waddling knee deep in readings and projects. But I’ll go through hell and high water to have regular suppers with my friends. You can find me with a film camera in one hand and a flat white in the other on the weekends. Also am able to rescue you if you ever capsize from a sea kayak.