Some mammals divide their time between land and water, such as the river otter. In the watershed otters live in dens next to streams and rivers and often construct underwater entrances. Otters have short, strong legs and webbed feet with claws, a characteristic that permits them both to dive for fish and to feed on smaller mammals and fish. The Bay also is home to several species of aquatic mammals, including dolphins and manatees. Dolphins are fairly easy to spot in the deep waters near the mouth of the Bay because they have to surface to breathe nearly every two minutes.
Manatees prefer estuaries, rivers or coastal waters.
They have large, paddle-shaped tails and fins that allow them to maneuver near the Bay and ocean bottom in search of underwater vegetation. Other mammals common to the Bay watershed include beaver, opossum, skunk, red fox, gray squirrel, muskrat and Eastern cottontail rabbit.