Harbor Seals

Harbor Seals (by Elia)
Have you ever heard of a Harbor Seal? They are ocean animals that are considered “cute” and “interesting” in many people’s opinions. Did you know that their higher classification is “Phoca?” Did you know their scientific name is “Phoca vitulina?” Harbor seals are medium-sized, live on sandy and rocky beaches, and eat food such as krill and flatfish.

Harbor Seals have blackish-brown spots along their backs. They also have noses in the shape of a “v” on their muzzles, and their bodies and flippers are short, with rounded heads. As pups, they shed white, wooly coats. They also crawl on land in a caterpillar-like motion. They may reach an adult length of 1.85 meters (6.1 feet) and can reach a weight of 55 to 168 kilograms (if you can understand those big numbers).

Harbor Seals prefer to eat prey such as salmon, menhaden, anchovy, sea bass, herring, mackerel, cod, whiting, and flatfish. Occasionally, they may eat shrimp, crabs, mollusks, and squid. That’s a lot of different things to eat!

Seals often rest on rocky coasts and/or sandy beaches. They live in the sunlit zone. They come up for air sometimes, so they don’t go any deeper than the sunlit zone. They sleep on the surface of the water, their heads are the only parts of a seal’s body that stay above water. This is called “bottling.” It helps them to breathe while sleeping.

As you’ve learned, the harbor seals are interesting creatures that are cute and majestic, in my opinion.