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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 surrounding water. Harbor seals have a metabolic rate somewhat higher than land mammals of the same size. This helps them generate body heat for warmth.
Harbor seals swim by moving their hindflippers in a side to side motion to propel their bodies. Their foreflippers act as a rudder. They can swim as fast as 12 miles per hour for short amounts of time but generally swim slower. Harbor seals can dive to depths of 1640 feet (500 meters) and stay submerged for 15 to 28 minutes.
Harbor seals do not drink water; they metabolize water from their food. Seals can rest underwater. Their lungs collapse when they dive, their heart rate slows dramatically, and blood flow to some organs is restricted. In this way their bodies conserve oxygen and prevent the “bends.”.
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
Sep 26, 2023 · A retrospective study (2002-2019) on stranded harbor seals in the Salish Sea found 27 cases of fatal propeller strikes, with 64% being weaned pups (Olson et al. 2021). The number of strikes significantly increased over the study period, indicating increased interactions between boats and seals (Olson et al. 2021).
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.
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May 7, 2021 · Despite living in the same environment and doing largely the same things, seals have evolved two distinct ways to swim. One group of seals chiefly use their feet to propel them through the water, while the other uses their flippers to swim. This is curious, as both groups evolved from the same land-dwelling ancestor that slipped into the sea ...
