Harp Seals

Harp seals and harbor seals look similar in head, body and form. However, harp seals are larger. An adult harp seals measures up to 1.7 meters in length with over 130 kg. The baby harp seals are covered with white fur all over their body enabling them to hide in snow to safeguard themselves from enemies. As the harp seals grow, they gradually turn in color.

The adults are either gray or white with marks of black on their back and head. The predators of harp seals are sharks, polar bears, walruses and orcas. However, human beings are their worst enemies who hunt them for commercial reasons. .

Harp seals consume on most types of fish and sea animals. It is interesting to note that the type of their diet varies with their age. Harp seals generally feed on over 67 types of fish and 70 types of invertebrates. Though it has been found that harp seals have not caused the collapse of cod populations, it is recorded by the scientists that cods are on the top in the seal predator trap.

A mature female that is more than five years old gives birth to a young pup every year, most commonly in February. The young pups weigh up to 10 kg and their mother identifies its young one by its distinct smell. The Mothers remain without food or drink during the weaning period and lose their weight day by day. The seal’s milk is highly fatty up to 50% and the pup gains rapid weight as they are nurtured. The young ones suckle the milk of their mother for about 12 days and the mothers abruptly leave them after that.

Once their mothers leave the pups, the pups thrive on their body fat up to 25 days till they develop independence and are able to swim and hunt their food. During the sedentary and fasting period following the weaning, the pups are vulnerable to their predators and human beings. More than 30% of the pups do not survive this period. Though illegal, several thousands of seals are killed using nets during this period.

During the breeding time of the year, the harp seals divide themselves into three populations and set off to their different breeding locations. The west Ice, Northwest Island and the White Sea are the three main areas where they breed. However, the largest population of seals breed in the Northwest Atlantic near Newfoundland, Canada. These seals are genetically different from the two other groups.