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Harbor Seal Phoca vitulina

Fun Facts

• Adult seals need as much as 11 lbs. (5 kg) of food a day.
• The newborn pups can swim hours after birth.
• Unlike a sea lion, a seal cannot rotate its hind flippers underneath the pelvic girdle. When on land, a seal moves by undulating in a caterpillarlike motion.
• Harbor seals may live a maximum of about 25 to 30 years.
• Harbor seals' eyes are adapted for sight in dark and murky water.

Distribution

North Pacific, Atlantic; temperate and cold waters. Harbor seals inhabit shallow areas of estuaries, rivers, and places where sandbars and beaches are uncovered at low tide.

Food

Harbor seals eat mostly fish, squid, octopus and shrimp. They also eat clams and snails.

Social Structure

There is no clearly defined social structure among these animals. Groups form depending on availability of water. They tend to be solitary while in the water. These seals do not migrate.

The tail of the Harbor Seal resembles a fan when spread out.