Harbour Seal

1. WHERE IT LIVES

Seals are found along the coast of Nova Scotia.
They live in the water but they stay close to the land.
Seals breathe air.

2. APPEARANCE

The adult harbour seals are between 1.5 and 2 metres long. That is about the size of a grown-up person.
Adult weight ranges from 60 - 80 kilograms.
The colour can range from brownish to black, with a spotted, speckle pattern.
A harbour seal's flippers are short and webbed.
The front flippers have claws.

3. FOOD

Harbour seals eat lots of fish.
Harbour seals don't chew their food. They swallow their food whole or tear it into chunks.
They can also crush shells with their back teeth.

4.PREDATORS

Harbour seal adults and pups can be hunted and killed by killer whales, sharks, polar bears, sea lions, walruses, and eagles. People also hunt seals.

5. THE YOUNG

Females usually give birth to one pup each year.
Female harbour seals give birth on land, ice, or in the water near shore.
Seals are mammals. This means that babies are born alive and feed from their mother’s milk.
Pups are about 75 to 100 cm and weigh 8 to 12 kg. Their eyes are open and they can swim and follow their mothers.

6. INTERESTING FACTS

Harbour seals have really good hearing, especially in the water.
Harbour seals have large eyes. They can see underwater better than when they can on land.
A harbour seal uses it’s whiskers (vibrissae) to find food.
They can move each of their whiskers, kind of like how you can move your fingers. They can also feel with their whiskers like your finger tips.