™™Common name: Harbor Seal
Scientific name: Family Phocidae:
Genus species: Phoca vitulina
 | Size |
Size: 4 to 6 feet long (females are smaller than males)
Weight: between 110 and 375 pounds
| What do they eat? |
Harbor seals eat a variety of fish, squid, crustaceans, and mollusks. The specific diet varies depending on where it lives and the time of year.
| Harbor Seal Highlights: |
A harbor seal has many common names around the world. Depending on where you live you might call it a common seal, seehund, zeehond, or kystal. But, no matter where you live, its scientific name is: "Phoca vitulina."
Harbor seals are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere along coasts and off shore islands. There are five different subspecies of harbor seals separated by distance or land. One species is even found in a freshwater lake in Quebec!
Harbor seals vary in color. The colors range from brown to gray to black. They're darker on top (dorsal side) and lighter underneath (ventral). Harbor seals have spots or rings.
Although they usually swim at slower speeds, harbor seals can swim up to 12 mph for short bursts. Like other seals, they use their hind flippers in a side-to-side motion swim. They use their pectoral flippers to steer and stop.
Depending on where it lives, a harbor seal needs to watch out for killer whales and large sharks, polar bears, Steller's sea lions, walruses, coyotes, and eagles.
Pups are abut 30 to 40 inches long and about 18 to 26 pounds at birth. Harbor seals can be born on land or in the water. They usually double their weight within the first four weeks - which is also when they're weaned.
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