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Wildlife Species Profile

Harbour Seals

Phoca vitulina • The Curious Coastal Residents

Harbour Seals

These inquisitive and common seals are frequently spotted bobbing in the water or resting on the shores around Telegraph Cove. With their characteristic “puppy-dog” faces and spotted coats, harbour seals are one of the most endearing marine mammals in the Pacific Northwest.

Appearance & Identification

Harbour seals have spotted coats that vary greatly in color from silver-grey to brown or black, with light or dark spots. This variation helps them blend with their surroundings on rocky shores and beaches.

They possess a characteristic “puppy-dog” face with large, expressive eyes and V-shaped nostrils. Unlike sea lions, seals lack external ear flaps, having only small ear openings behind their eyes.

Adults typically measure 1.5-1.9 meters in length and weigh 60-140 kg, with males slightly larger than females. Their streamlined, torpedo-shaped bodies make them excellent swimmers.

Hauling Out

Harbour seals haul out on land to rest, regulate body temperature, give birth, nurse pups, and molt. They use rocky shores, sandy beaches, mudflats, and even floating docks and logs.

When resting, they often adopt a characteristic “banana” posture, lifting both their head and hind flippers off the ground. This position helps them keep an eye on their surroundings while conserving heat.

They are easily disturbed when hauled out and may stampede into the water if approached too closely. Repeated disturbance can cause them to abandon haul-out sites, affecting their health and reproduction.

Diving Abilities

Underwater Prowess

Harbour seals are skilled divers, capable of staying submerged for up to 30 minutes, though most dives last 3-7 minutes. They typically dive to depths of 40-100 meters but can reach depths of up to 500 meters.

Before diving, they exhale most air from their lungs to reduce buoyancy. Their blood and muscles store oxygen more efficiently than terrestrial mammals.

Swimming Adaptations

On land, seals move by undulating their bodies in an inchworm-like motion, as they cannot rotate their rear flippers forward like sea lions.

In water, they’re graceful swimmers, using their rear flippers for propulsion and front flippers for steering. They can swim at speeds up to 20 km/h.

Diet & Foraging

Harbour seals are opportunistic feeders with a varied diet that includes fish, squid, crustaceans, and mollusks. Common prey species include herring, cod, salmon, rockfish, and flatfish.

They often forage alone, using their sensitive whiskers (vibrissae) to detect prey movements in murky water. These whiskers can sense water movements left by fish swimming up to 35 seconds after they’ve passed.

Feeding typically occurs during high tide when prey is more accessible. They may travel up to 50 km from haul-out sites to find food, sometimes entering rivers and estuaries following fish runs.

Life Cycle & Reproduction

Breeding

Females give birth to a single pup after a gestation of 10-11 months, which includes a 2-month delayed implantation. In the Pacific Northwest, pupping occurs from June to September.

Pups are born on land or in shallow water, weighing 8-12 kg. They can swim and dive within hours of birth, a crucial adaptation for survival.

Development

Mothers nurse pups for 4-6 weeks with rich milk containing up to 45% fat. During this time, pups double their birth weight.

Harbour seals reach sexual maturity at 3-7 years and can live 25-30 years in the wild, with females typically living longer than males.

Behavior & Intelligence

Harbour seals are curious but cautious animals. They often observe boats and people from a safe distance, popping their heads above water in a behavior called “spyhopping.”

They’re generally solitary in water but gregarious on land, gathering in groups that can number from a few individuals to several hundred. These groups have loose social structures with minimal interaction.

Communication occurs through various vocalizations including grunts, growls, and snorts. Underwater, they produce clicks and chirps. Mothers and pups have unique calls that help them recognize each other.

Fascinating Facts

They can sleep underwater, surfacing automatically to breathe without waking.

Each seal’s spot pattern is unique, like a fingerprint, allowing individual identification.

They molt annually, shedding their entire coat over 4-6 weeks.

Their heart rate drops from 120 bpm to 3-4 bpm during deep dives.

They can detect sound frequencies from 1-180 kHz, far beyond human hearing range.

Harbour seals are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate and Arctic waters.

Conservation Status

Harbour seals are listed as “Least Concern” globally and have healthy populations throughout their range. In British Columbia, the population has recovered well since hunting was banned in 1970.

Current threats include entanglement in fishing gear, boat strikes, pollution (especially plastics and toxins), and human disturbance at haul-out sites. Climate change may affect prey availability and pupping habitat.

Marine protected areas and viewing guidelines help protect important habitat. The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires vessels to maintain at least 100 meters distance from seals.

Best Viewing Times

Year-round

Best viewed during low tide when they haul out on exposed rocks. Look for their heads bobbing in calm bays and inlets. Pupping season (June-September) offers special viewing opportunities.