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Apr 19, 2022 · Harbor seals in Chatham MA - Photo: NOAA Fisheries. Harbor seals are one of the most common marine mammals along the U.S. West and East Coasts. They are commonly seen resting on rocks and beaches along the coast and on floating ice in glacial fjords with their head and rear flippers elevated in a “banana-like” position.
- Mammalia
- Chordata
- Carnivora
Nov 20, 2022 · A seal can hold its breath for up to two hours. This is because they have a special ability to slow their heart rate and conserve oxygen. Harbor seals can not only swim competitively, but they can also dive to some of the deepest waters on earth. Seals can dive as deep as 1500 feet, and can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes at a time.
Harbor seals can swim forward and upside-down. They rarely swim backward. Harbor seals can swim up to 19 kph (12 mph), but they generally cruise at slower speeds. Diving. Harbor seals can dive to depths exceeding 200 m (656 ft.). They don't routinely dive this deep, however, since most of their food is found in shallow waters.
Fun Facts for Kids. Harbor seals can dive as deep as 427 m (1,400 ft) and stay underwater for almost 30 minutes. However, the average dive is a few minutes long and 91 m (298 ft) deep. Harbor seals perform dives in a range of shapes. One recent study classified their dives into variations of U-shaped and V-shaped dives.
Harbor seals can remain submerged for up to 28 minutes and dive to depths of 90 m (295 ft); however, they routinely forage in shallower waters. Harbor seals along the Pacific coast usually give birth between February and July. The well-developed pup may measure up to 100 cm (39 in.) and 12 kg (26 lbs.). A pup nurses for 4 to 6 weeks.
They can dive down to depths of 1,500 feet and are capable of staying under water for up to 40 minutes. The average dive of a harbor seal lasts between 3 and 7 minutes. Harbor seals communicate with each other using body postures and are the most docile and least vocal of all pinnipeds. Harbor seals must “haul out” (come out of the water) on.
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The harbor (or harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina), 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 (walruses, eared seals, and true seals), they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Baltic and North seas.
