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Jun 14, 2017 · If you have ever attended a Seals & Sea Lions show at the Aquarium of the Pacific you’ve probably heard the term galumphing as a description of how a harbor seal moves on land. In this week’s video I thought I’d give everyone a close up, slow motion view of what the term is describing.
Harbor seal males are somewhat more monogamous than some pinnipeds, mating with one to several females per year. Harbor seals usually return to the same breeding grounds every year. PUPPING In South Puget Sound, harbor seal pups are born late June through September ( map for pupping timeframes in Washington State ) and weigh about 18-30 pounds.
- Swimming
- Diving
- Respiration
- Sleep
- Thermoregulation
Harbor seals swim with all four flippers: they move their hind flippers from side to side to propel themselves forward, and use their foreflippers to help them steer.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.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.Adult harbor seals can stay submerged for up to 30 minutes, but dives usually last only about three minutes. A two-day-old harbor seal pup can stay submerged for up to two minutes.All marine mammals have special physiological adaptations for diving. These adaptations enable a harbor seal to conserve oxygen while it is under water.Before a deep dive, a harbor seal exhales to reduce the amount of air in its lungs. Oxygen is stored in the blood and muscle tissues, rather than in the lungs.Like most other marine mammals, a harbor seal's typical respiration cycle is a short exhalation, a short inhalation, and a longer breath-holding (apnea) period.
Harbor seals sleep on land or in the water. In the water they sleep at the surface and often assume a posture known as bottling - their entire bodies remain submerged with just their heads exposed. This enables them to breathe when necessary.
A harbor seal's core temperature is about 37.8°C (100°F). There is a heat gradient throughout the blubber from the body core to the skin. The skin remains about one degree Celsius warmer than surro...Harbor seals have a metabolic rate somewhat higher than land mammals of the same size. This helps them generate body heat for warmth.A thick layer of blubber insulates the harbor seal, reducing heat loss. The blubber of a northern Pacific harbor seal during winter may account for 27% to 30% of its total body mass. Blubber also s...In cold water, blood is shunted inward as blood vessels in the skin constrict, reducing heat loss to the environment.Mating season varies among the subspecies but generally occurs in late spring through fall, when females come into estrus ("heat" or "season") usually about six weeks after their pups are born. Females remain in estrus for one to nine weeks. Harbor seals usually return to the same breeding grounds every year.
After about 6 weeks, the females’ bodies are ready to become pregnant again. They will mate with whatever male has claimed the beach. This will give her pups “winning” genes. She might also mate with a male who is able to sneak onto the beach. That way, even if the beachmaster is not fertile, she can still get pregnant.
Killer whales occasionally prey on grey seals in British waters. Man, however, is the greys seal´s major predator. In Britain, hunting for seals for food has been carried out for centuries. Commercial hunting for skins began in the eighteenth century and by 1914 only 500 grey seals were thought to be left.
People also ask
Do harbor seals move from one location to another?
How do harbor seals mate?
Are harbor seals monogamous?
When do harbor seals mate?
How do seals reproduce?
Do harbor seals give birth?
While on land, harbor seals rarely move from one location. They remain alert and wary, however, and turn their heads frequently to watch for potential danger. When alarmed, harbor seals will flush (quickly rush) into the water. Studies show that, within a season, harbor seals tend to return to one or two particular haul-out sites with regularity.
