Seal Guide
Seals are some of the interesting marine mammals. Though
there are several types of seals across the globe, the
three most prominent types of seals are grey seals,
harp seals and common (harbor seals) seals.
Seal Habitats
Grey seals breed around the coastal lines of British
Isles. The primary habitats of grey seals are the Baltic
Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. About 40% of the grey
seals are found in Britain. However, over 90% of the
grey seals of Britain breed in Scotland with great numbers
in Hebrides and Orkney. Common seals live in great numbers
in the coasts of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic.
Common seals are also found in the waters of UK, Norway,
German, Dutch, and Iceland. They are also widely spotted
along the west coast of Scotland. Harp seals mainly
breed in the regions of the West Ice, Northwest Island
and the White Sea. The largest population of seals is
found in the Northwest Atlantic near Newfoundland, Canada.
Features of Seals
Though Grey seals and common seals look different,
there are a lot of genetic similarities between them.
The harp seals are genetically different from the two
other types. With regard to their size, the grey seals
are the largest, the adults measuring approximately
2.5 meters in length and weighing up to 250 kg, whereas
the females are about 1.8 meters long and weigh around
150 kg. The grown up common seal males are about 1.85m
in length and weigh about 105 kg, while the females
are shorter by 10 cm and lighter by 20 kg. An adult
harp seals measures up to 1.7 meters in length with
over 130 kg, with females slightly smaller than the
males. Among all the three types of seals, the females
outlive males. The coat color in grey seals varies with
black, brown, gray, silver or white patches. Harp seals
and harbor seals look similar in head, body and form.
In all the three types, females can give birth to one
pup a year during the breeding season. Only common seal
can swim at birth. The other two types take more than
a month before they become independent to hunt their
prey. All the three types of seals are opportunistic
feeders and can feed on several types of fish. However,
the most common seal hunt extends into a range of fish
like whiting, flatfish, herring, and sandeels, apart
from squids, octopus and shrimps.
Common features of seals
The sensitive whiskers that search for prey in water;
large and round eyes that can see both in air and water;
a keen sense of smell; sharp sense of hearing both in
land and water—these are the common features of
all types of seals. Sealskins have great commercial
value becoming the principal attraction for hunters.
Toxic chemicals, the phocine distemper virus, and plastic
debris are threats to seals. However, hunting by humans
is the major threat to seal population across the globe.
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