Bearded Seal

Fascinating facts about the Bearded Seal

• Bearded seals can send their characteristic trills across vast stretches of ocean, reaching listeners more than 30 km away. To achieve that range a trill must be produced with a sound-pressure of at least 100 dB at one metre, a level the seal can generate. These long-lasting notes are most common from late March to late June, matching the breeding season.
• A bearded seal pup that is about a year old can dive to depths of 450 m, far exceeding the typical range used by adult seals. Adults usually forage in shallow coastal waters no deeper than 300 m, where they hunt benthic prey such as clams and crustaceans. The deeper dives of juveniles give them access to a broader vertical habitat and may help them develop the stamina needed for later foraging.
• Weighing up to 300 kg, the bearded seal is the largest northern phocid, with females generally larger than males. Individuals measure between 2.1 and 2.7 m from nose to tail and carry a substantial body-fat layer of 25-40%, which provides insulation in frigid waters. Their size and thick blubber enable them to endure long periods on ice and to dive for extended times while hunting.
• Unlike other northern seals, the bearded seal possesses two pairs of teats, a rarity in its subfamily. This trait is shared only with monk seals and sets it apart within Phocinae.
• Pleistocene fossils show bearded seals once lived as far south as South Carolina. Today they are found primarily in Arctic and Subarctic regions.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Bearded Seal

In the icy vastness of the Arctic, the bearded seal glides effortlessly, its sleek body undulating through the frigid waters with a mesmerizing rhythm, as if performing a slow, underwater waltz. With each powerful stroke of its flippers, it propels itself forward, its whisker-like vibrissae twitching with every subtle change in the current, guiding it through the dark, mysterious depths. As it breaks the surface, its haunting, melodious calls echo across the frozen landscape, a haunting serenade to the frozen wilderness it calls home.

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