A small "earless" seal — the most widespread seal in North America. Often hauls out on rocks, sandbars, and floating ice. Variable color from blue-gray to dark brown.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The harbor seal, also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped, they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Baltic and North seas.
Source: Wikipedia — Harbor seal Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Larger and more massive than harbor seal; distinctive elongated face profile.
Similar species. Harbor Seal (smaller, different face). Sea Lions (external ears).
Voice. Various grunts, growls, and bellows.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Fish, squid, octopus.
Behavior. Gray seals form large breeding colonies on beaches. Among the most curious of US seals.
§ Range
North Pacific and North Atlantic coasts
§ Habitat
Coastal waters, estuaries, tidal mudflats
§ Threats
Climate-driven sea ice loss, fishery interactions, marine debris, oil spills.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the harbor seal is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Don't approach hauled-out seals (minimum 100 ft). Skip seafood from non-certified fisheries. Reduce ocean plastic.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Harbor seal
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Phoca vitulina
- IUCN Red List · taxon 9660
- iNaturalist · taxon 41817
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Phoca vitulina
§ Sources cited
- NOAA Fisheries
- Marine Mammal Commission
- IUCN Red List 2016
