#861: Yellow-eyed Penguin

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is native to New Zealand and nearby islands. He follows a piscivorous diet, foraging off the coast and on the ocean floor. The largest mainland populations are on the Otago Peninsula - where he is a tourist attraction - and in the Catlins. He is under threat from habitat degradation and predation, as well as disease.  After breeding season, when the chicks have gone to sea (survival rates are as low as 20%), the adults begin their annual moult. Penguins moult all of their feathers at once, shedding the old for a new, sleek plumage. During this time they cannot enter the water, and are extremely vulnerable to predation or starvation.

#822: Water Boatman

The Water Boatman are a Family of aquatic insects, found in ponds and slow-moving streams. Their bodies are flattened, with the hind legs being modified into "oars". Water Boatman are vegetarian, feeding on algae and aquatic plants. These are dissolved externally, with a digestive enzyme being injected via the insect's mouth parts. The liquefied food is then sucked up through the mouth parts. Eggs are laid annually, deposited on submerged sticks, weed and stones. In some situations, every available surface will be covered in eggs.

#705: Small-clawed Otter

The Small-clawed Otter is the smallest Otter species in the world. She can be found in the mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of southern Asia. As the name suggests, her claws are very short, not protruding past her fleshy fingertips. This allows her greater manual dexterity when handling prey such as molluscs, crabs and other aquatic animals. Like her larger relatives, Small-clawed Otters live in family groups, with a breeding pair and their offspring.

#688: Sea Otter

The Sea Otter is one of the smallest marine mammals, but the heaviest member of the Mustelid Family. Unlike most marine mammals, she does not rely on blubber to retain warmth, instead possessing a very thick, insulatory pelt. Her fur is the thickest in the Animal Kingdom and, as such, put her in high demand from the early fur trappers. She was pushed to the brink of extinction, and is only now recovering, thanks to the ceasation of this industry. Sea Otter lead a largely aquatic existence, diving for crustaceans and molluscs as well as fish. She uses stones to dislodge prey and break over shells, and will even store a favoured rock in the loose piece of skin under her armpit. Whilst she feeds independently, Sea Otter gather together in rafts to rest and keep themselves together.

Here's the lineart, if you wish to colour her in yourself:

Creature Feature #601: Pondskater

The Pondskater or water strider is a predatory insect. His long, slender legs allow him to evenly distribute his weight across a wide area, and he takes advantage of surface tension to literally run on water. Striding across the water, he watches for the ripples caused by prey beneath the surface and grabs it, piercing its exoskeleton and sucking out the innards. When hunting for a mate, he communicates using ripples. If another Pondskater is near, he sends out a "repel" signal. If a similar signal is not returned, he knows the other is a female and will send out a courtship signal instead. Should she be a female, and receptive to his advances, he will mount her - and remain there for the entirety of the reproductive season.

Creature Feature #580: Penguin

The Penguin Family originated in New Zealand :) (or at least I heard that in a documentary about NZ prehistory - Australia "stole" the kiwi, but we could claim the Penguin).

Penguins are a Family of flightless birds, uniquely adapted for a life at sea. Their wings have become modified into flippers, and their large bodies store fat - perfect for insulating them against the icy waters of their polar homes. As a Family, they are restricted almost exclusively to the Southern hemisphere, with many species occuring in the sub-Antarctic. However, there are species found in the Galapagos Islands and southern Africa. There are between 18-20 species, ranging in size from the diminutive Little Blue Penguin to the Emperor Penguin.

Some species will be dealt with individually: The Emperor and the Macaroni have already been dealt with, and the Rockhopper and Yellow-eyed may well make an appearance at a later date. This wee fellow is an Adelie Penguin, the smallest species found in Antarctica.

I have previously drawn the Little Blue as well:

(This is from my to-eventually-be-released "Happy Avian Families" card game)

Creature Feature #570: Pacific Right Whale

There are three species of Right Whale: the North Pacific, the Southern and the Atlantic, with all being so similar in appearance that only genetic analysis can be used to determine species. Once populations numbered over 20,000, now whaling has reduced her population down into an Endangered categorisation and she is the most endangered whale on Earth. She is a large baleen whale, measuring up to 19 m in length. For something so large, her diet consists primarily of copepods, which are sifted through her baleen constantly, with the water cascading out over her lower lip. She must devour millions of these every day.

(The lumps on her head are known as callosities, roughened patches of epidmeris covered in clusters. These are concentrated around her blowholes and rostrum.)

Creature Feature #445: Manatee

The Manatee are large, fully aquatic mammals belong to the Order Sirenia. Her vegetarian diet gives her the alternative name of "sea cow". There are several species, including this Amazonian Manatee. Unlike the other species, she leads an almost entirely freshwater lifestyle, occupying the rivers, lakes and lagoons of the Amazon river basin. She is solitary in nature, although will sometimes gather with others to graze on water plants. Her digestive system is similar to that of the horse and she eats 8% of her body weight per day. She sleeps submerged, surfacing every 20 mins or so to breathe.

She is classified as Vulnerable due to hunting, pollution (such as oil spoils), and climate change. Captive Manatees live around 13 years, whereas in the wild she can live to be 30.