Pinniped Pinnipeds (pronounced ), commonly known as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. They comprise the extant families Odobenidae (whose only living member is the walru ...

s (from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''pinna "''wing or fin" and ''ped- "''foot"), or fin-footed mammals, are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

Seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

sea lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

s, and

walrus The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large pinniped, flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in ...

es are well-known examples of

pinniped Pinnipeds (pronounced ), commonly known as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. They comprise the extant families Odobenidae (whose only living member is the walru ...

s. In addition to inspiring the names for many sports teams (such as the three sports teams in the

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

area known as "the

"), pinnipeds have also inspired a number of fictional characters, creatures, and entities across human culture and media.

Seals and sea lions

* In

Icelandic folklore Nordic folklore is the folklore of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. It has common roots with, and has been mutually influenced by, folklore in England, Germany, the Low Countries, the Baltic countries, Finland and Sapmi. ...

, the magical seal on whose back Sæmundur Sigfússon traveled from Europe to Iceland. * Bobbie, a seal hostess of the second season of the Canadian adult animated television series ''

Life's a Zoo ''Life's a Zoo'' is a Canadian stop motion sitcom created by Adam Shaheen (producer), Adam Shaheen and Andrew Horne. It is directed by Alexander Gorelick. A co-production of Cuppa Coffee Studios and Teletoon, "Life's a Zoo.tv" was named Best Anima ...

'' * Chip, a seal from ''

Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater ''Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater'' is an animated series based on the Japanese character Hello Kitty, produced by DIC Enterprises and animated by Toei Animation. The series involves Hello Kitty and her friends (and occasionally family) doing the ...

'' * Fluke, Rudder and Gerald, sea lions from ''

Finding Dory ''Finding Dory'' is a 2016 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton, produced by Lindsey Collins and written by Stanton and Vict ...

'' * Flynn, an

elephant seal Elephant seals are very large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus ''Mirounga''. Both species, the northern elephant seal (''M. angustirostris'') and the southern elephant seal (''M. leonina''), were hunted to the brink of extinction for oil ...

in '' Ice Age 4: Continental Drift'' * Pup, a

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

from ''

In Search of Santa ''In Search of Santa'' is a 2004 computer-animated Christmas adventure film starring Hilary Duff and her older sister Haylie Duff in their first voice roles. It was directed by William R. Kowalchuk and released on August 25, 2004 in Australia and ...

'' * Stefano, a

in '' Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted'' * Havoc, also known as Lang in Japan, an anthropomorphic seal who is the main protagonist of the video game ''

High Seas Havoc ''High Seas Havoc'', known in Japan as and in Europe as ''Capt'n Havoc'', is a video game that was made for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis by Data East. It was also released in the arcades running on a Sega Mega Drive/Genesis based arcade cabinet. ...

'' * Hunter, a

leopard seal The leopard seal (''Hydrurga leptonyx''), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). Its only natural predator is the orca. It feeds on a wide range of prey incl ...

in ''

The Penguins of Madagascar ''The Penguins of Madagascar'' is an American computer-animated television series co-produced by DreamWorks Animation and Nickelodeon. It stars nine characters from DreamWorks' animated film ''Madagascar'': the penguins Skipper ( Tom McGrath) ...

'' * Short Fuse, a

harp seal The harp seal (''Pagophilus groenlandicus''), also known as Saddleback Seal or Greenland Seal, is a species of earless seal, or true seal, native to the northernmost Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean. Originally in the genus ''Phoca'' with a number ...

in the ''

Penguins of Madagascar ''Penguins of Madagascar'' (also known as ''Penguins of Madagascar: The Movie'') is a 2014 American computer-animated spy action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Starring the voices of Tom McGra ...

'' * Sophie, a

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...

seal whom Dr. Dolittle befriends and helps escape back to the ocean, in

Doctor Dolittle's Circus ''Doctor Dolittle's Circus'', written by Hugh Lofting and published in 1924 by Frederick A. Stokes, is set in England sometime between the original story and the later voyages narrated by Stubbins. It was one of the novels in the series whic ...

and also in '' Dr. Dolittle (film), Dr. Dolittle'' * Lou Seal: mascot for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

* Kotick: the main character in

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

's short story ''The White Seal'', later made into a cartoon by

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...

* Salty, a seal that appears in the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

cartoons ''Pluto's Playmate'' and ''Mickey and the Seal'' and later in ''

Mickey's Mouseworks ''Mickey Mouse Works'' (also known as ''Disney's Mickey Mouse Works'' or simply ''Mouse Works'') is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation featuring Mickey Mouse and his friends in a series of animat ...

,'' ''

House of Mouse ''Disney's House of Mouse'' (or simply ''House of Mouse'') is an American Animation, animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation that originally aired for three seasons on ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001, to ...

'' and ''

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ''Mickey Mouse Clubhouse'' is an American interactive computer-animated children's television series which aired from May 5, 2006, to November 6, 2016 on the Disney Channel. Produced by Disney Television Animation, it is the first computer-anima ...

'' * The title character of '' Andre'' * Skæg, a seal sea captain in the Danish comics series ''

Rasmus Klump ''Rasmus Klump'' (translates to ''Rasmus Lump'' or ''Erasmus Lump'') is a Danish comic strip series for children created in 1951 by the Danish wife-and-husband team Carla and Vilhelm Hansen. The series was translated into a number of foreign langu ...

''. * Slappy the sea lion from the film ''

Slappy and the Stinkers ''Slappy and the Stinkers'' is a 1998 American direct-to-video family adventure comedy film directed by Barnet Kellman. The film stars B. D. Wong and Bronson Pinchot. Its plot concerns a group of children who try to save an abused sea lion from ...

'' * Sully, a sea lion from ''

Danger Rangers ''Danger Rangers'' is an American animated television series that aired on PBS Kids and Cookie Jar TV from September 5, 2005 to December 26, 2006. Plot The Danger Rangers are a team of anthropomorphic heroes who teach children about safety thro ...

'' * Thornton, a harbor seal from '' Shark Bait'' * Whiskers from ''

Manta and Moray Manta and Moray are a pair of amphibious superheroes who first appeared in a segment of the omnibus animated TV series ''Tarzan and the Super 7'' from 1978 to 1980. Filmation produced seven eleven-minute episodes, which were mixed with several other ...

'' * Esmeralda the sea lion from the Disney version of ''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-J ...

'' * The

San-X is a Japanese stationery company known for creating and marketing cute characters such as Tarepanda, Rilakkuma, and Sumikko Gurashi. The characters are usually anthropomorphic representations of animals or inanimate objects. Each character has ...

company characters

Mamegoma is a series of seal characters created by the Japanese company San-X. The prefix ''mame'', meaning ''bean'' in Japanese, is used to refer to miniature versions of things; the suffix ''goma'' is an abbreviation of ''gomafuazarashi'', or ''sesame s ...

* The main characters of '' Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss'' * Sandy, an orphaned seal from the film ''

Sandy the Seal ''Sandy the Seal'' is a 1965 British family film directed by Robert Lynn and starring Heinz Drache, Marianne Koch and Gert Van den Bergh. Produced and co-written by Harry Alan Towers, the film was shot in South Africa in Technicolor and Techn ...

'' * Sparky, an escaped seal in the episode "Love and Sandy" from the 1964

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

'' Flipper'' * Wolfgang the Seal, former character from ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

'' * At the end of the fantasy novel '' Kitty and the Midnight Hour'', there is a mention of ''Homo sapiens pinnipedia'' at the end; a wereseal. This mention is expanded upon in Kitty's House of Horrors, where the heroine meets a were-seal, Alaskan state legislator Lee. * Robby, friend of

Pingu ''Pingu'' is a stop-motion children's television series co-created by Otmar Gutmann and Erika Brueggemann. It was originally produced from 1990 to 2000 by Swiss company The Pygos Group (originally called Trickfilmstudio) for SF DRS in Switzerlan ...

. * Robby, a friend of Lars from ''

The Little Polar Bear ''The Little Polar Bear'' (in nl, Lars de kleine ijsbeer) is a franchise about a polar bear cub named Lars who first starred in a number of books written by Dutch author, Hans de Beer. The first of several animated adaptations of the books is a ...

'' * The titular character of ''

Seabert ''Bibifoc'' (''Seabert'') is a 1985 French animated television series. It was created by BZZ Films in Paris and originally aired in French on Antenne 2, before being translated into different languages around the world. In the United States, the ...

'' who is a

whitecoat A whitecoat is a newborn harp or grey seal with soft, white fur. From newborn to whitecoat Newborn seals have yellow fur because of amniotic fluid, and are still wet. When the pup dries, it is called a yellowcoat. The amniotic stain fades and t ...

seal * Smaxey, the former seal mascot of Kellogg's

Sugar Smacks Honey Smacks (formerly known as Sugar Smacks, simply known as Smacks outside the U.S. in international markets) is a sweetened puffed wheat breakfast cereal made by Kellogg's, noted for its high sugar content. It was introduced in the early 1950s ...

. * Sneezly, Hanna Barbera's sneezing seal from ''

Breezly and Sneezly ''Breezly and Sneezly'' is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon series first broadcast on September 16, 1964, as part of ''The Peter Potamus Show''. From 1964 to 1966, 23 episodes were produced, 14 of which were aired on ''Peter Potamus'' with the remaining nin ...

''.

Walruses

* The Walrus from Lewis Carroll's poem "

The Walrus and the Carpenter "The Walrus and the Carpenter" is a narrative poem by Lewis Carroll that appears in his book ''Through the Looking-Glass'', published in December 1871. The poem is recited in chapter four, by Tweedledum and Tweedledee to Alice. The poem is co ...

" * Capn' Cragg, a

from ''

'' * Chumley, the walrus sidekick to Tennessee Tuxedo (the Penguin) * Coach Whistler, a walrus who lives in the Land of Play in ''

Jim Henson's Pajanimals ''Jim Henson's Pajanimals'' (a portmanteau of the words ''pajamas'' and ''animals'') is an American-British children's TV series created by Jeff Muncy and Alex Rockwell. The Pajanimals are characters that were made by Jim Henson's Creature Sho ...

'' * Dash, a walrus from '' The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea'' * Hercule Moustache, a grumpy walrus with a French accent, live in Mossy Bay in ''

64 Zoo Lane 64 or sixty-four or ''variation'', may refer to: * 64 (number) Dates * one of the years 64 BC, AD 64, 1864, 1964, 2064, etc. * June 4th (6/4) ** the date of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre * April 6th (6/4) * April 6 AD (6/4) * J ...

'' * Jim McSweeney from the second issue of '' The Adventures of Sly Cooper'' *The Sea Vitch, a rude walrus in

's short story ''The White Seal'' *Thrasher, a walrus in ''Tappy Toes'' *

Wally Walrus Wally Walrus is an animated cartoon character who appeared in several films produced by Walter Lantz Productions in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He has also since appeared in various cartoon programs of more recent decades. History Wally is an ...

* Rotor Walrus, a technician walrus from ''

Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics) ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' was an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, in partnership with Sega. The series was based on Sega's video game franchise, as well as on the 1993 animated series of the same name. After initially beginn ...

'' *Whoopie the walrus in '' Rocket: Robot on Wheels'' * Winthrop, a walrus in ''Piper Penguin and His Fantastic Flying Machines'' * Kapitein Wal Rus, a sea captain in ''

Tom Poes ''Tom Puss'' (''Tom Poes'' in Dutch) is a Dutch comic strip, created by Marten Toonder. Together with Hans G. Kresse's '' Eric de Noorman'' and Pieter Kuhn's ''Kapitein Rob'' it is regarded as the Big Three of Dutch comics. ''Tom Poes'' was a ta ...

''. * Captain Thames in ''

Xenogears ''Xenogears'' is a 1998 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the debut entry in the larger '' Xeno'' franchise. The gameplay of ''Xenogears'' revolves around navigating 3D enviro ...

'' * The cruel walruses in the movie adaptation of ''

The Jungle Bunch ''The Jungle Bunch to the Rescue'' (also known as ' in French) is a French CGI animated television series. It was created by Jean-François Tosti, , Eric Tosti and produced by Toulouse-based , Seaworld Kids, and Master Films. The series is about ...

'', a Canadian-American children's show * Wozza, a walrus who lives in a cave in Freezeezy Peak in ''

Banjo-Kazooie ''Banjo-Kazooie'' is a series of video games developed by Rare (company), Rare. The games feature a male bear named Banjo & Kazooie, Banjo and his friend, a large female red bird named Banjo & Kazooie, Kazooie, who are both controlled by the p ...

'' * A walrus named Rusty Walrus who appeared in

Crash Twinsanity ''Crash Twinsanity'' is a 2004 platform video game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Mobile. It is the eleventh installment in the ''Crash Bandicoot'' series and the fifth game in the main series. The game's story takes place three years after t ...

during the level of High Seas Hi-Jinks, who chases Crash which he calls fresh meat for his pot.

References

{{Fictional biology Pinnipeds