# Seal (*Phoca vitulina*) Seals are playful marine mammals that love swimming and sunbathing on rocks. They have sleek bodies, flippers for swimming, and can hold their breath for a long time underwater. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 61 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas - **Also known as:** Common Seal ![Seal](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426606/objects/6401.jpg) ## Appearance The Harbor Seal has a torpedo-shaped body, typically grey to brown with dark spots, helping it blend with rocks. It possesses a relatively small head with a dog-like snout and short, stubby front flippers, distinct from the longer flippers of sea lions. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Carnivora - **Family:** Phocidae - **Genus:** Phoca ## Interesting facts - A group of seals resting on land is called a "rookery," but in water, they are a "raft." - Baby seals are born fully developed and can swim almost immediately after birth! - Harbor seals often sleep underwater, surfacing every few minutes to breathe without fully waking up. - They can close their nostrils and ears when diving to prevent water from entering their head. ## Special abilities - **Super Swimmer:** Seal has a sleek, streamlined body and powerful hind flippers that propel it gracefully through the water at high speeds. - **Deep Breath Diver:** Seal can hold its breath for up to 30 minutes by slowing its heart rate, allowing it to dive deep for food. - **Whisker Hunter:** Seal can detect prey by sensing subtle water vibrations using its sensitive whiskers, even in murky waters. - **Blubber Blanket:** Seal has a thick layer of blubber that helps insulate its body and keep it warm in cold ocean waters. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 120-195 cm - **Weight:** 55-150 kg - **Lifespan:** 25-30 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 300-330 days ## Diet & Feeding These adaptable hunters enjoy a varied seafood diet, preying primarily on fish, but also crustaceans and cephalopods. - **Primary Foods:** cod, herring, flounder, salmon, shrimp, squid - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Orcas are top predators that hunt seals in coastal waters. - **Eaten by:** [Great White Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-white-shark) (*Carcharodon carcharias*) — Young seals can be vulnerable prey for large sharks. - **Hunts:** [Atlantic Cod](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-cod) (*Gadus morhua*) — Seals commonly hunt various fish species like cod for food. - **Hunts:** [Atlantic Herring](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-herring) (*Clupea harengus*) — Herring are a primary food source for many seal populations. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Whiskered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/whiskered): Possessing prominent sensory hairs or vibrissae, often around the snout. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always observe seals from a safe distance and never try to touch or disturb them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Seal? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Seal? 120-195 cm ### How much does Seal weigh? 55-150 kg ### How long does Seal live? 25-30 years ### How fast can Seal move? 35 km/h ### What does Seal eat? These adaptable hunters enjoy a varied seafood diet, preying primarily on fish, but also crustaceans and cephalopods. ### Where is Seal usually found? Coastal areas ### How does Seal hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Cabrillo National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cabrillo-national-monument) — California, US · National Park - [Chicken Ridge Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chicken-ridge-historic-district) — US · Historic District - [Discovery Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/discovery-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Saxman Totem Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saxman-totem-park) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Sabine Channel Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sabine-channel-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Jáji7em and Kw’ulh Marine Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/j-ji7em-and-kwulh-marine-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Seal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/seal) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Seal: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/seal)