Harbour Seal Painting

Description

Nowadays, there are 33 types of seals all over the world. Their population is shrinking. According to some records, many years ago there were 50 species of these carnivorous marine mammals. Almost all seals have fur, and layers of fat to keep them warm.

Can pinnipeds hear sounds?

Scientists believe that seals evolved from bears, skunks, and badgers. Some species don’t have external ears. Nonetheless, they can still hear because their ears are present beneath the surface of the skin. All pinnipeds are more sensitive to underwater sounds than to airborne tunes.

Biggest and smallest

More than four tons is the weight of the biggest seal on the planet. The smallest true seal lives in Siberia. The Baikal Seal is the world’s only freshwater pinniped. Studies show that carbon monoxide can be present in seal’s blood. People get it into their blood system while smoking. On the contrary, pinnipeds acquire it during deep dives when sea mammals hold their breath. Moreover, some researchers suggest that a few species illustrate a drop in brain temperature by 3 degrees Celsius over the fifteen-minute-deep dive.

A few years ago (before this Coronavirus nightmare happening around), I visited Oceonografic Valencia. It is the largest aquarium in Europe, reproducing the most important marine ecosystems. You can find the oceanarium on the dry Turia River bed to the southeast of the city. It takes around 110 000 square metres and holds about 42 000 000 litres of water. Oceonografic Valencia is a home for 45 000 animals from 500 different species. You can see sharks, penguins, dolphins, sea lions, walruses, belugas, whales there.

During my stay there, I dived deep into the whole sea of sensations. The aquarium sparked my imagination. Later, after I returned home, I created the painting “Harbor Seal”. I designed it to show the importance of being kind and caring to every living creature around.