Featured Image Credit: SeaWorld
Let’s get something straight here, cute animals RULE the internet. Yeah yeah, there’s politics, the Kardashians and Unicorn Frappucinos among other things, but there is nothing like seeing a photo or a video of a baby animal that just makes you turn to your friends, family, coworkers, whoever and say “Oh. My. GAWD. Look. At. This.”
As lovers of all things ocean, we have a special place in our hearts for cute little marine critters. Here, we bring you the five most adorable marine animals that are more Instagram-worthy than any Unicorn Frappucino out there.
Piglet Squid
Is it just us, or is this cutie smiling at us? Helicocranchia pferreri, otherwise known as the banded piglet squid, is named because of its round shape (obviously). It is normally found in the darkness more than 320 feet below the oceans surface. The little piglet squid measures just 3.9cm in length and has light-producing organs to help it navigate through the dark depths of the ocean. Because of its deep water habitat, little is know about its behavior. Although judging by its body shape, it is known to be a bit of a slow swimmer…hehe.
Dumbo Octopus
Believe it or not, this little cutie is NOT a Pokemon. These little fellas get their name from the Disney movie, Dumbo, because of their large ears that they actually use to swim and move around. Dumbo octopus live deep, deep in the sea down to depths of at least 13,000 feet, making this the deepest living of all known octopus. Life at those depths means these octopus are able to live in extremely cold water with very little sunlight. Thankfully, these little piggies are very rarely captured in fishing nets and are not threatened by human activities.
Sea Otters
Probably the most utterly obvious of all marine mammals to be on this list is the sea otter. These furry little swimmers actually have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, which they use as their main form of insulation against the cold water. Otters have a loose pouch of skin that extends across their chest, where you can find the otter’s favorite rock! As if they didn’t get any cuter, otters are known to hold hands with each other so they don’t float away. Can we float in the water and hold hands with an otter? #GOALS
Beluga Whales
These blubbery belugas don’t get the credit they deserve! Beluga whales are not only very talkative but they are highly social and can be found playing most of the time when they are not hunting or sleeping. Don’t underestimate their slow swimming capabilities, because they can still dive to depths of 2,300 feet. Currently, the beluga whale is on the endangered list due to hunting, predation and environmental degradation. Let’s find a way to fix that, like, ASAP.
Pufferfish
Few fish are cuter than a beady-eyed, fully expanded pudgy pufferfish. (Remember, they’re poisonous so don’t be fooled!) Biologists think that pufferfish developed their famous ability to inflate because they are slow and somewhat clumsy which makes them vulnerable to larger, must faster predators. But…if they do sense a predator lurking nearby, they are able to quickly ingest huge amounts of air into their elastic stomachs..turning themselves literally into an inedible ball SEVERAL times their normal size! PUUFFFFF!
Want to see more cute marine animals? Like penguins? Click here!
How about ADORABLE sea lion pups? Click here!