Search results
Apr 19, 2022 · Harbor seal pelvic bones are fused, preventing them from moving their hind flippers under their pelvis to walk on land like sea lions. Instead, they move by undulating in a caterpillar-like motion. This behavior does not mean they are injured. Harbor seal pups can swim at birth.
- Mammalia
- Chordata
- Carnivora
Swimming. 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 seal swimming Harbor seal colony in Helgoland, Germany. Harbor seals are solitary, but are gregarious when hauled out and during the breeding season, though they do not form groups as large as some other seals. When not actively feeding, they haul to rest. They tend to be coastal, not venturing more than 20 km offshore.
Pupping season varies by location, occurring in February in lower latitudes, and as late as July in the subarctic zone. Pups are able to swim and dive within hours of birth. They nurse for 3 to 4 weeks, doubling their weight by the time they’re weaned.
They live in shallow waters in bays, coastal regions, estuaries, rocky islets, and freshwater. They use tidewater glaciers for shelter, transportation, and breeding. They are rather common in somewhat cold marine waters which do not have yearly sea ice coverage. Harbor Seal. Harbor Seal Pictures.
- Mammalia
- Chordata
- Carnivora
Mar 22, 2021 · Harbor seal pups, one of the smaller species of seals, weigh about 24 pounds at birth and are ready to swim within minutes. They are nursed for 4 to 6 weeks on milk that is 50 percent fat. Northern elephant seal pups weigh 75 pounds at birth, for instance; grey seals weigh 35 pounds.
Harbor seals have adapted well to life in the sea. Swimming fairly close to home, they fish locally for food – eating a huge variety of seafood, including fish, squid, crustaceans and mollusks. Dives last 3 to 7 minutes and are usually in shallow waters.
