Harp Seal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Seals and Sea Lions · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Harp seals dive to over 500 m, and some dives last just over 20 minutes.
2. While nursing for about 12 days, a harp seal pup gains over 2.2 kg a day. Its mother's milk gets richer, up to 40% fat.
3. While nursing, a harp seal mother loses up to 3 kg a day because she does not hunt.
4. A harp seal embryo can pause for up to three months before implanting, so the pup is born once there is enough pack ice.
5. Outside breeding season, northwest harp seals regularly move up to 4,000 km northeast.

The quiz

1. How deep can a harp seal dive?

• About 5 m
• Over 5,000 m
• Over 500 m (correct)
• About 50 m

Depths range from under 20 m to over 500 m.

2. How much weight does a nursing harp seal pup gain each day?

• Over 2.2 kg (correct)
• About 50 g
• About 20 kg
• About 200 g

A nursing pup gains over 2.2 kg a day.

3. Why does the mother lose up to 3 kg a day?

• She swims constantly
• She is sick
• She fights rivals
• She does not hunt while nursing (correct)

She does not hunt while nursing her pup.

4. Why can a harp seal embryo pause for up to three months?

• To wait for enough pack ice (correct)
• So twins can form
• To make the pup smaller
• So the pup hatches from an egg

The pause delays birth until there is enough pack ice for the pup.

5. How far do northwest harp seals regularly move after breeding?

• Up to 40 km
• Up to 400 km
• Up to 4,000 km (correct)
• Up to 400,000 km

They regularly move up to 4,000 km northeast.

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