Hooded Seal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Sea Mammals · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Only males grow the famous hood: a stretchy sac on top of the head that they inflate to warn off rivals.
2. That is not all: a male can push a pinkish balloon out of one nostril, then shake it to make all sorts of sounds.
3. Babies are nursed for just 4 days on average, the shortest of any mammal. Thanks to milk that is 60% fat, pups double in size.
4. Pups are nicknamed "blue-backs": at birth their coat is slate blue-grey on top, with a creamy belly.
5. A champion diver, it can go deeper than 1,016 m and stay down 52 minutes or more. It spends about 90% of its time underwater.

The quiz

1. Which hooded seals have the inflatable hood?

• Only pups
• Only females
• Both males and females
• Only males (correct)

Only males have this nasal sac, which starts to grow around age four.

2. What can a male push out of one nostril?

• A jet of ink
• A pinkish balloon (correct)
• A long tongue
• A cloud of bubbles

Mature males push out a pinkish balloon-like membrane and shake it to make sounds.

3. How long does a hooded seal mother nurse her pup, on average?

• 4 days (correct)
• 6 months
• 2 years
• 1 month

Nursing lasts only 4 days on average, the shortest of any mammal.

4. Why are hooded seal pups called "blue-backs"?

• They swim in blue water
• They eat blue fish
• Their coat is blue-grey (correct)
• They have blue eyes

At birth their back is covered in slate blue-grey fur.

5. How much of its time does a hooded seal spend underwater?

• About 10%
• About 90% (correct)
• About 25%
• Almost none

Diving is almost nonstop: about 90% of its time is spent submerged.

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