Trending

Did you know facts about harp seals?

Did you know facts about harp seals?

Fun Facts About Harp Seals

  • Harp seals grow up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long and weigh up to 300 pounds (136 kg).
  • Harp seals can live for an estimated 30 years.
  • Harp seal pups are born with long white fur that helps them absorb sunlight and stay warm while they’re still developing blubber.

How deep can harp seals dive?

1,300 feet
Behavior and Diet They often travel away from the pack ice during the summer and follow the ice north to feed in the Arctic. Annual migrations can be more than 3,100 miles roundtrip. Harp seals can dive up to 1,300 feet below the surface and remain underwater for about 16 minutes.

What is special about harp seals?

Harp seals are extremely agile swimmers, able to catch a wide variety of fish and crustaceans. They can stay underwater for 15 minutes. Their thick coats of blubber not only keep them warm but also serve as a source of nutrition when food resources are thin.

Can harp seals breathe underwater?

Harp seals spend relatively little time on land, preferring to remain in the oceans swimming. They are tremendous swimmers that can easily dive to depths beyond 300m. They can also hold their breath underwater for 15 minutes.

What are harp seal babies called?

whitecoats
A mother harp seal and a young “whitecoat.” Adult harp seals are gray with black spots. Young harp seals are called “whitecoats,” “bedlamers,” “beaters,” or “graybacks,” depending on their age.

Is harp seal cold blooded?

No. Seals, like all mammals, are warm-blooded.

Where does a harp seal sleep?

water
Seals sleep in the water as well as on land. In the water, they sleep floating in a standing position, like a fishing bobber, or floating horizontally on the surface. Because they are sleeping and not actively swimming, they can stay under water much longer than when hunting for food.

Do harp seals swim?

Harp seals spend relatively little time on land and prefer to swim in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. These sleek swimmers cruise the chilly waters and feed on fish and crustaceans. They can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes.

How do seals sleep?

Sleep. 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.