var arrayFacts=[ "Still the Champ!

The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world. It can grow to be about 110 feet long and weigh up to 285,000 pounds.

In spite of its size, it feeds only on some of the smallest organisms on Earth: the plankton.", "A little something put away.

A blue whale can go without food for 6 months, subsisting on its stored blubber.", "Slow hearted.

A blue whale's heart beats only 9 times a minute.", "I need to speed up my metabolism.

The blue whale has the slowest metabolism of all animals.", "Bigger than all the rest!

The blue whale is not only the largest animal on earth, it is the largest animal that has ever existed. Its length of 110 feet and weight of nearly 200 tons, makes it larger than the Argentinosaurus.

To understand that, think of a pile of 50 elephants and you can get a good idea how big it is. Its blood vessels could be considered a subway system, and its heart could house a car.", "How many elephants does it take...

The blue whale weighs as much as 20 Asian elephants and is as long as 3 Greyhound buses. That's 300,000 pounds (136,000 kg) and 95 feet (29 m) long.", "Down by the River

The baiji is a “river dolphin” only found in the Yangtze River in China. In the Yangtze River, the baiji generally lives in the deeper sections, swimming to shallow water only to catch small fish. ", "Riding their wake.

Dolphins frequently ride the bow wake or the stern wake of boats. They have been seen jumping as high as 16 feet up from the surface of the water, landing on their backs, in a behavior called a 'breach'.", "Little Pink Dolphins

River dolphins generally live in fresh, warm waters. A river dolphin found in the Amazon is the only dolphin pink in color. It lives in murky waters, so it must rely on echolocation to find prey, and has a long beak to accommodate its long sharp teeth.

Inhabitants of Ticunas believe river dolphins are magical beings, who were once human, and as such, are never to be killed. Another belief is that they appear in human form to entice maidens back to their underwater cities, where they wear snakes for belts and stingrays for hats. The offspring of these woman will return and become the tribal shaman. A similar legend claims that a drowned man will enter the body of a dolphin - then return as a handsome young man.", "Seeing cross-eyed.

A dolphin’s eyes move independently of each other. With an eye on each side of their head, dolphins can see ahead, to the side and behind them. They can see equally as well in and out of the water.", "Sit, Dolphin!

Much like a dog, a dolphin can be taught tricks by imitating its trainer. When a dolphin gets tired, it can sleep by resting half of its brain at one time. A dolphin is a warm-blooded mammal with all the senses - hearing, seeing, tasting and feeling - but a dolphin cannot smell. A dolphin uses its tail for swimming and its flippers for steering in the water.", "Mermaids singing

Sightings of the dugong, or sea cow, gave birth to mermaid legends.

Legends tell of sailors being lured to the sea by beautiful singing and once there, seeing women, with babies in hand.

A female sea cow sitting in the water, baby clasped in her fins, could give the appearance of a woman from a distance. Also, when a sea cow loses her mate she will stay nearby for days sighing and whistling loudly each time she surfaces.", "Beyond the sea.

The closest relative to the elephant is the manatee. Some scientists think a few members of the elephant's ancestors crawled back into the sea to become manatees.", "Little darlings!

A Manatee calf is bigger than most first graders. At birth the calf is 3 to 4 feet long and weighs between 60 - 70 pounds.

The mother gives birth to a single calf, which is fed its mother’s milk for up to 2 years.

Manatees live in small family groups of 15-20 animals, and communicate with each other through a series of clicking and chirping noises.", "Big as a (sea) cow.

An adult Manatee weighs up to 1,800 pounds. The average adult sea cow grows 10 – 12 feet long and weighs between 1,000 and 1,800 pounds. Their life expectancy is roughly 60 years in the wild.", "Gentle Giant.

Did you know those manatees you watch swimming in the zoo aquarium are actually related to the elephant family?

Manatees are gentle creatures that can grow to nearly 10 feet and 1,000 pounds. If you live in the Eastern United States, the manatees might be right at your back door.

Manatees make their home in Florida in the winter, then in the Carolinas, Alabama and Virginia in the summer. ", "Lovely nickname!

Manatees are also known as 'sea cows.'", "Baby teeth.

Manatees can eat up to 150 pounds of food every day.

They have ‘marching molars,' flat surfaced teeth which grow at the back of their jaw and then move towards the front. As each tooth is worn down from grinding food, it falls out, and is replaced by another migrating tooth moving from the back.

They do not have natural predators. Their biggest threats are humans who hunt them for their meat, oil and hide; and boat propellers which can maim or kill them. ", "Take a deep breath!

Manatees can stay underwater for 20 minutes.

They close their nostrils when they dive and usually resurface every 5 minutes to breathe.

They are slow swimmers and use their flippers and flat tail to move through the water.", "Myths and Legends.

Sightings of Manatees started legends of mermaids. Many years ago, sailors who saw these aquatic mammals from the distance thought they were mermaids.

They are popularly called sea cows because when initially eaten by sailors they tasted like beef. They are closely related to the elephant and the hyrax (a small mammal resembling a rodent). ", "Do not touch!

Manatees can live to be 80 years old, but because of many human-caused deaths, they are protected by the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973.", "Bottom feeders.

Dugongs range in size from 8 to 10 feet, and weigh anywhere from 500 to 1,100 pounds.

These large aquatic mammals are herbivores that eat sea grass from the sea bed with their tusk-like teeth. They live around 50 years in the wild and are closely related to manatees (sea cows).", "Touchy!

Killer whales have such a highly developed sense of touch that if you dropped a small pill into a bucket of food, the orca would eat all the food and spit out the pill.", "Natural Born Killers!

The orca, or killer whale, grows up to 32 feet (9.8 m) from head to tail and can weigh 5 tons.

These natural born killers cooperate with each other in hunting. They feed mainly on squid, fish and even shark. The remains of one killer whale's stomach contained 15 seals and 13 porpoises.", "All in the family.

Killer whales stay in groups for life. Called pods, these groups include the male, three or four females, and younger whales of both sexes.

Although they are called killer whales, scientists no longer recognize them as whales, but now consider them members of the dolphin family.

They are viscous mammals, but humans need not worry - there have been no reported attacks on humans by these mammals in the wild. ", "If you don't bother them...

As a general rule, killer whales don’t attack humans. Despite their fearsome name and movies such as 'Jaws,' killer whales in the wild really pose no threat to humans.

The only reported attacks on humans have been isolated incidents of attacks on handlers at marine parks. ", "Misnomer?

It is thought that killer whales got their name from a mis-translation.

18th century Spanish sailors often witnessed killer whales in action. A pod of these mammals are capable of killing a blue whale. And it is believed that the Spanish sailors who witnessed their fury named them 'asesina-ballenas' or ‘whale killer’.

This name was incorrectly translated as ballenas-asesina, which in English means ‘killer whale’.", "Frisbee anyone?

Killer whales off the coast of New Zealand like to play frisbee. Using venomous stingrays as a toy, small groups of killer whales have been observed tossing stingrays backwards and forwards.

Scientists believe this may be an effort to position the stingray so they can eat it safely or a way of educating their offspring on how to catch dangerous prey.", "Just the tip of the iceberg.

The average orca eats 132 pounds of food every day. Orcas work as teams and employ some clever hunting techniques to catch their prey.

They will skyhop to locate seals resting on floating ice, then create a wave to throw the seal into the water, where a second orca is waiting. ", "The scars to prove it.

The orca’s distinctive dorsal fin can reach 6 feet high. The dorsal fin of the killer whale is shaped like an isosceles triangle and more than likely will have identifying nicks, cuts, scratches and scars.

Males can grow as large as 32 feet and weigh 9 tons, females are slightly smaller.", "Alpha male!

Each male sea lion tries to mate with several females. To do that, he needs to defend an area of the beach where the females are.

Since fighting would exhaust him and he would prefer to save his energy for mating, he shows his strength with threatening displays and gestures, hoping to scare off weaker sea lions.

Once a territory is won, the sea lion stays there at all times. Most wind up fasting for the entire 70-day mating period. This usually helps the largest and fattest of the sea lions, since they can stay in the same spot longer and thus be the most successful at holding territory.", "Sixth sense.

A sea lion’s whiskers help them find food in the dark.

This set of long whiskers, called vibrissae, are attached to their upper lips and rotate with underwater currents.

This allows the sea lion to locate any food source swimming near them in the darkness of the ocean waters.", "White water rafting!

A group of sea lions in the water is called a raft. On land or floating ice, a group of sea lions is called a colony.

During mating season, bulls gather as many females as possible to create a ‘harem’, usually numbering up to 15 cows and their pups.

When a group of bulls, cows and pups are in the same place during the birthing season these areas are known as rookeries.", "A mother's love!

Even on crowded shores, a sea lion pup can pick out its mother by the sounds she makes.

Sea lions make a range of noises from barks, honks, trumpets and roars.

During mating season, bulls bark to defend their territories from other males. Mothers bark to call out to their children and bring them home.", "Deep sea diver.

Sea lions dive up to 600 feet in search of a meal. Their nostrils automatically shut when they dive so they can stay underwater for up to 40 minutes at a time.

They are great swimmers and can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour, especially when trying to escape predators like whales and sharks. ", "Roar of a lion!

Steller sea lions weigh as much as 2,200 pounds. They are the largest sea lions, measuring about 9 feet long.

They have thick hair around their necks which looks like a lion’s mane. Male Steller sea lions don’t eat during breeding season, as they’re too busy protecting their territory and harem.", "Fish filter.

Baleen is a strip of hard, flexible material rooted to the Baleen whales' upper jaw. It is made of keratin, the same substance in human hair and fingernails. The baleen plates end in a feathery fringe which works as a filter for water and food.

As fish pass through these filters, the larger ones become trapped on the inside and swallowed, while everything else is released.

Before the invention of synthetics, baleen was used as a stiffener for corsets, hoop skirts and umbrellas. Old time chimney sweeps also used baleen for their brushes, because of its tough, springy properties.", "Trapped!

Each day 100 or more whales, dolphins, and porpoises are killed by fishermen. Usually, these sea mammals are caught in fishing nets and drown.

Sea mammals continue to be hunted today, both legally and illegally. ", "Ice cubes.

The bottle-nosed whale can dive to a depth of 3,000 feet in only two minutes. They inhabit cold waters deeper than 3,000 feet (1,000 m).", "Easy target.

The 'right whale' got its name because it was rich in blubber, slow moving, traveled on the surface, and floated when killed. These traits made the whales attractive to whalers and became known as the 'right whale' to kill.

The right whale is easily recognized by a 'horny bonnet' on top of its head. These yellowish callosities are outgrowths of the whale's skin. Barnacles and lice make their homes on these growths which give it the appearance of a 'horny bonnet.'", "I spy.

When whales are migrating they often thrust their head out of the water and view the shoreline, which they use as a reference point during migration.

Whalers termed this practice spyhopping, because the whalers believed the whales were spying on them.

Breaching is when a whale leaps from the water, then falls backwards, usually with a big splash. Slapping their flukes is called lobtailing and is a show of aggression or irritation. And upstroking is a swimming method.", "The day of rest.

If you live in Ohio you can't fish for whales on Sunday, but if you happen to find one any other day, it’s all yours.

If you are done fishing for the day and you open a six pack make sure you don't share any with the fish, because it is also illegal to get a fish drunk in Ohio.", "They could afford to be a bit friendlier.

Bowhead whales are typically anti-social. Unlike their killer whale cousins, bowhead whales tend to congregate in small pods of about 3 whales in spring and pods of about 50 in autumn. ", "Deep sea diver.

Bowhead whales can dive to a depth of 500 feet. They can dive for up to an hour at a time, but tend to make dives that last 4-15 minutes.

When cruising or migrating, bowhead whales normally swim at speeds of 2-7 miles per hour, but will swim up to 12 miles per hour when they sense danger.", "Blow hards!

Bowhead whales live exclusively in the Arctic Ocean. They can break through surface ice 1 foot thick in order to breathe.

They have 2 blowholes and when they breathe their blow rises in two cloudy masses 20 feet above the surface of the water. ", "He's always been so bowheaded.

The bowhead whale is named because of its large bow-shaped head. Its head can measure up to 40% of its body length.

The bowhead whale has small eyes and huge lips. Its trademark arched mouth measures up to 10 feet wide and 20 feet deep. ", "Strike Zone!

A Gray Whale's eyes are the size of a baseball.", "Where's the toothpaste?

Just like humans, Narwhals brush their teeth. These whales grow large tusks, or modified teeth, comprised of 10 million tiny nerves. The whales are often seen rubbing their tusks against the tusks of other whales. This practice is called tusking.

Tusking may therefore be a way of cleaning encrustations from the surface of tusks, just like brushing teeth. Other theories on 'tusking' are that it is a form of aggression, similar to a medieval jousting contest.", "Dead or Alive.

Narwhals are born a gray color, darken as a teenager, and whiten with age. The word 'narwhal' comes from the Old Norse meaning 'corpse whale' since its white color resembles that of a floating corpse.

Narwhals are hunted by Inuit people for their skin, oil, meat, and tusks.", "Compared to other whales the minke is miniscule.

The largest minke whale recorded was 35 feet long. It weighed 9.5 tons. As a general rule minke whales grow 25-30 feet long and weigh only 6-7.5 tons. Female minke whales are usually 2 feet longer than males.", "Minke whales are the Pinocchios of the whale family.

The minke whale’s nickname is ‘little piked whale’. It is also called ‘sharp-headed finner’, as a result of its distinctively narrow, pointed and triangular shaped snout.", "Win a trip to Hawaii.

The Hawaiian monk seal is from the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, living in the vicinity of the islands' beautiful beaches and coral reefs.

This solitary creature gets its name from the short hairs that cover its round head, making it look like a friar. ", "Myths and Legends.

An ancient Scottish legend claims that the MacCodum clan originated from seals.

According to the legend, female seals could remove their skin and transform themselves into beautiful women.

One day, a man from the MacCodum clan spied one of these seal maidens dancing on the rocks, and fell instantly in love with her. To keep her in her human form, he stole her seal skin, and hid it. This was said to keep her faithful to him, as long as the skin lay undiscovered. They were married and their children were the first offspring of this 'seal woman.' Years later the woman found her seal skin and slipped it back on. She returned to the sea, leaving her family forever.

Other cultures believed that seals were fallen angels, while others thought they were the children of kings, who had fallen prey to enchantment.", "Voice of an angel.

Bearded seals sing complex songs that last more than a minute. Their simple form of communication includes whoops, screams, barks, moans, and wails. These are believed to be either mating or defense calls.

Intuit seal hunters track Bearded seals by placing one ear against a paddle while the paddle blade is underwater and listening carefully for the songs of the Bearded seal.", "Pulled back from the brink!

In the 1800’s the Northern Elephant seal was hunted to the brink of extinction. They were hunted extensively for their blubber which was used for lamp oil.

In the 1890’s there were only 100 seals remaining. Today, the species is still recovering.

They live in the Pacific Ocean and migrate long distances each year between warm breeding grounds in California and Mexico and cold feeding grounds near Alaska.", "Aerobics, anyone?

Seals are yoga masters, able to touch their nose with their feet. They are also capable of bending so far back that their nose can reach their rear flippers.

They are intelligent animals, often trained to perform in front of audiences, happily displaying their natural behavior on cue. The California sea lion is the animal used to delight audiences at marine parks everywhere.", "Elephants swimming.

The male Northern Elephant seal can dive to 2,600 feet. The female seal, called a cow, can dive to around 2,000 feet. When searching for food, they hold their breath underwater for 20 minutes.

Male seals, or bulls, are much larger than females and weigh up to 5,000 pounds and are 15 feet long. Cows weigh up to 1,650 pounds and are usually around 12 feet in length.", "A nice little chat.

The Weddell seal is native to the icy Antarctic waters. They can dive to depths of 2,300 feet and stay underwater for over an hour.

Underwater they communicate a great deal and use their large strong teeth to break breathing holes in the ice. They got their name from British Antarctic explorer, James Weddell."];