Harbor Seal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Seals and Sea Lions · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. No other seal, sea lion or walrus is spread as widely. Harbor seals live along northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in the Baltic and North seas.
2. Every harbor seal has its own pattern of spots, dark on light or light on dark. Look closely and you will also spot its V-shaped nostrils.
3. Pups are born ready for the water: they can swim and dive just hours after birth. On rich milk they may double their weight in a few weeks.
4. A rescued harbor seal from Maine named Hoover became famous because he could imitate human speech.
5. Though mostly a coastal seal, it sometimes swims far up big rivers into fresh water, following fish such as shad and salmon.

The quiz

1. What makes the harbor seal stand out among seals, sea lions and walruses?

• It is the biggest
• It lives only in lakes
• It is the most widely spread (correct)
• It lives only in Antarctica

It is the most widely distributed of all pinnipeds.

2. What shape are a harbor seal's nostrils?

• V-shaped (correct)
• Perfectly round
• Star-shaped
• Square

Its nostrils are distinctively V-shaped.

3. When can a harbor seal pup first swim and dive?

• After one year
• Within hours of birth (correct)
• After six months
• Only once its spots appear

Pups are born well developed and swim within hours.

4. What was Hoover the harbor seal famous for?

• Juggling balls
• Painting pictures
• Riding waves on a surfboard
• Imitating human speech (correct)

Hoover could imitate human speech.

5. Why do harbor seals sometimes swim up big rivers?

• To escape the cold
• To follow fish like salmon (correct)
• To give birth in fresh water
• To find ice

They head upstream after migrating fish such as shad and salmon.

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