HARBOR SEALS
· Also known as the Common Seal or True Seal
· An adult can weigh around 120-300 pounds and can be as long as 5-6 feet.
· Male lifespan: 20-25 years. Female lifespan: 30-35 years.
· Blubber under seal’s skin helps maintain body temperature.
· Females bear a single pup after a 9-month gestation period, which they care for alone. Pups weigh about 35 pounds and are able to swim and dive within hours of birth.
· Generally stick to familiar resting spots, such as rocky areas, where they are protected from weather conditions and predation.
· May spend several days at sea and travel up to 31 miles for feeding. They are also known to sometimes travel far upstream in large rivers for feeding.
· These opportunistic feeders diet consists of fish, shrimp, crab, mollusk, octopus, squid and seabirds.
· Although mostly coastal, dives have been recorded over 1,640 feet deep.
· Both courtship and mating occur underwater. Mating system is not known, but they are thought to be polygamous.
· Can be under water for up to 40 minutes, although their average dive lasts about 4-7 minutes and is typically shallow, and they sometimes sleep under water.
· An adult can weigh around 120-300 pounds and can be as long as 5-6 feet.
· Male lifespan: 20-25 years. Female lifespan: 30-35 years.
· Blubber under seal’s skin helps maintain body temperature.
· Females bear a single pup after a 9-month gestation period, which they care for alone. Pups weigh about 35 pounds and are able to swim and dive within hours of birth.
· Generally stick to familiar resting spots, such as rocky areas, where they are protected from weather conditions and predation.
· May spend several days at sea and travel up to 31 miles for feeding. They are also known to sometimes travel far upstream in large rivers for feeding.
· These opportunistic feeders diet consists of fish, shrimp, crab, mollusk, octopus, squid and seabirds.
· Although mostly coastal, dives have been recorded over 1,640 feet deep.
· Both courtship and mating occur underwater. Mating system is not known, but they are thought to be polygamous.
· Can be under water for up to 40 minutes, although their average dive lasts about 4-7 minutes and is typically shallow, and they sometimes sleep under water.
