Pacific Harbour Seal
Pacific Harbour Seal
(Phoca vitulina)
Quick facts
- distribution is north of the equator
- found at various haul-out (rocky outcrops) sites around the Victoria area
- tens of thousands of harbour seals are found along the coasts of Vancouver Island
- one pup per female and approx. 10,000 pups born around Victoria each year
- pups are born from mid July to mid September around Victoria
- pups weigh about 10 kg (20 lbs) at birth
- pups suckle for 4–6 weeks
- adults are 1.5 m (4–5 ft) long
- adults weigh about 70 kg (150 lbs)
- are opportunistic hunters eating anything, but feed primarily on herring, hake and other small bait sized fish
- eat 2–3 kg (4–7 lbs) fish daily
- often look like logs or what we call ‘rock sausages’
- diverse colouration allows them to blend in the environment really well, hiding from transient orca
Description
Harbour seals are the smallest and most common seal species and contain five subspecies. Generally, adult males measure 1.4–1.9m (6 ft) in length and weigh 55–170 kg (200–270 lbs), while the slightly smaller adult females measure 1.2–1.7 m (5.5 ft) in length and weigh 45–105 kg (120–200 lbs). The coat consists of thick, short hairs ranging in colour from white with dark spots to black-dark brown with white rings. These patterns are unique to each seal, which helps to identify individuals during observational studies. The short front and rear pectoral flippers have five webbed digits with claws used for scratching, grooming, and defense. The hind flippers also have five digits, but these vary in length. The first and fifth digits are long and wide and the middle digits are short and thin. The hind flippers are used to propel the seal forward using a side-to-side motion. These seals also move by undulating the body on land. Male harbour seals live an average of 20 years of age compared to the female life span of 25–30 years.
Range and habitat
Harbour seals are also the most widely distributed pinniped (no external ears; phocid = earless, true seal). They are found in temperate, sub arctic, and arctic coastal areas on both sides of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Five separate subspecies have been identified, each common to a specific coastal region. Harbour seals are found in groups only during haul outs for breeding and molting. Aggressive behaviour is demonstrated by growling and snorting, which only occurs when threatened, waving fore flippers, and thrusting the head. Population estimates are poor, however the global population is estimated at 400,000–500,000.
The five subspecies include:
- The eastern Atlantic harbour seal, Phoca vitulina, (a.k.a. the common seal) which has an estimated population size of 88,000–93,000 and is found in Svalbard, Iceland, the British Isles, the southwestern Baltic Sea, and on western European coasts from northern Norway to France, including the Kattegat and Skagerrak.
- The western Atlantic harbour seal, Phoca vitulina concolor is found from the eastern Canadian Arctic and Greenland down to New Jersey, with individuals occasionally found wandering as far south as Florida.
- The eastern Pacific harbour seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi, consists of an estimated 285,000 seals, distributed from the Pribilof and Aleutian Islands in Alaska as far south as Baja California.
- The western Pacific harbour seal, Phoca vitulina stejnegeri, (a.k.a. Kuril or insular seal) is a small population of less than 4000 seals, ranging from the western Aleutian and Commander Islands south to the Kuril Islands and Hokkaido.
- The Ungava seal, Phoca vitulina mellonae, (a.k.a. Lacs des Loups Marins harbour seal), lives in freshwater lakes and rivers on the Ungava peninsula of northern Quebec.
They generally haul out in small scattered groups, although in protected bays and estuaries, haul outs can number over 1000 individuals. Haul out sites are selected for protection from land predators, access to deep water and proximity to food sources, and protection from wind and waves. It is thought that harbour seals haul out in groups for protection against land predation. The timing of haul outs is often dependent on tidal cycles so that the seals can haul out during low tide. In the absence of tides, the time of day is the major influence on harbour seal haul out behavior. Haul outs are most common during warmer months. Individuals of the species tend to stay in the same area all year round, however juveniles are known to travel long distances up to 500 km (312 miles) to feed. Harbour seals tend to stay within 25 km (15.6 miles) of the shore but individuals are occasionally found 100 km (62.5 miles) or more offshore. Harbour seals haul to molt for an average of 12 hours each day compared to 7 hours per day when they are not molting. The metabolism of harbour seals is reduced while they are molting, therefore less time is needed foraging for food in the water.
Feeding behaviour
The harbour seal diet varies seasonally and regionally. They primarily feed on crustaceans, mollusks, squid, and fish. The food is torn into chunks and swallowed whole. The molars crush shells and crustaceans for swallowing, but food is generally not chewed. Adults consume 5–6% of their body weight or 4.5–8.2 kg (8–18 lbs) of food per day. Feeding usually takes place near the shore in shallow water less than 200 m deep (660 ft), most often less than 100 m (330 ft) for periods of a few minutes. However, harbour seals have sometimes been known to dive more than 500 m (1650 ft) for more than 25 minutes.
Comments
Harbour seals are hunted primarily for their skins, oil, and meat. Their tendency to remain in the same area year-round puts them at greater risk for hunting. Harbour seals are thought by a few to “compete” with commercial fisheries for food sources and unfortunately this myth results in many harbour seals being killed by humans needlessly. Like other seal species, harbour seals are threatened by entanglement in fishing nets, particularly in gillnet fisheries. Like the gray seal, it is apparently legal to shoot harbour seals to protect fisheries or fish farms in several countries, such as Canada, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Conservation groups are also promoting the development and use of humane non-lethal seal deterrents such as anti-predator nets on fish farms for this species as well. In addition, the transition from open sea cage fish farms to land-based closed loop systems are being encouraged. Illegal killing of harbour seals also takes place throughout the species’ range. The species is preyed upon by orca and sharks. Polar bears are known to be predators of Western Atlantic harbour seals. Pups may also be preyed on by coyotes, foxes, and large birds of prey. Harbour seals in the Pacific are known to be killed by Steller sea lions.
