Weddell Seal: a two-minute wildlife lesson
When winter blizzards sweep Antarctica, Weddell seals shelter in the water below the ice, poking just their heads up through breathing holes.
Seals and Sea Lions · day 7 of 7
Five facts
- When winter blizzards sweep Antarctica, Weddell seals shelter in the water below the ice, poking just their heads up through breathing holes.
- They can dive as deep as 600 m and stay down for up to an hour. Their dives are deeper and longer by day than by night.
- Weddell seals have been recorded singing. One seal can have its own song, built from the same sounds repeated, though singing is not common.
- A pup weighs 25 to 30 kg at birth and doubles that in its first week. It takes its first swim at just one to two weeks old.
- Unlike other seal pups, newborns have no special warming fat. They stay warm with a fine fuzzy coat and by shivering their muscles.
The quiz
1. What do Weddell seals do during winter blizzards?
- Sleep in snow caves
- Stay in the water under the ice (correct)
- Fly north
- Huddle with penguins
They wait out storms in the water, with just their heads up through holes in the ice.
2. How deep can a Weddell seal dive?
- About 6 m
- About 60 m
- As deep as 600 m (correct)
- As deep as 6,000 m
They have been seen reaching 600 m and staying down for up to an hour.
3. What is special about some Weddell seal calls?
- They sound exactly like whales
- They are songs, and each seal can have its own (correct)
- They can only be heard on land
- They are made by tapping the ice
Some calls are described as songs, and each seal can produce a unique one.
4. When does a Weddell seal pup take its first swim?
- At around one to two weeks old (correct)
- At one year old
- On the day it is born
- Only after it is weaned
Pups take their first swim at around one to two weeks of age.
5. How does a newborn Weddell seal keep warm?
- With a thick layer of brown fat
- By lying in the sun all day
- By sleeping inside its mother's flipper
- With a fine coat and by shivering (correct)
Pups lack brown fat, so they rely on fine hair and shivering muscles.
Same week
Today’s lesson is waiting
Two minutes a day, a new wild animal. Free on iPhone, Android and the web.
Hear them, don't just read about them
Feravox is a free wildlife app: 4,400+ species with real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins, and a safe Kids mode.