Harbor Seals
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Harbor Seal
Quiet and shy, plump harbor seals can be seen year-round, resting lazily on
rocks just off the shores of the Central Coast. These marine mammals belong to
the order Pinnipedia, along with elephant seals, and sea lions .The earliest
fossil record for phocids dates back 12 to 15 million years. The ancestors of
harbor seals were once able to walk on land.
Harbor seals are "true" seals, family Phocidae. Unlike sea lions, they lack
external ear flaps and are unable to rotate their hind flippers under their
bodies.These small sausage-shaped seals have spotted silver-gray to black
coats. They have a well-developed sense of hearing, especially in the water.
Harbor seals have large eyes. Adapted for sight in dark and murky water. Mucus
continually washes over the eyes to protect them. Unlike most land mammals,
pinnipeds lack a duct for draining eye fluids into the nasal passages. When a
harbor seal is out of the water, mucus surrounding the eyes gives them a wet,
"tear-rimmed" look. Their vision underwater is better than a human's, but inferior
on land. Good vision does not seem to be essential to harbor seal survival;
scientists have found blind but otherwise healthy individuals, including mothers
with pups, at sea.
A harbor seal uses its sensitive vibrissae (or whiskers) to find food, especially in
dark, deep waters or at night. Each vibrissa can move independently. Under
water, a harbor seal thrusts its vibrissae to and fro in a sweeping movement by
pushing its mobile upper lip in and out. Prey moving under water creates
vibrations that the seal may detect with its vibrissae.
Harbor seals often are found sharing haul-out space with other pinnipeds, such
as California sea lions and Northern elephant seals. Harbor seals rarely interact
with other species but show aggression if threatened.
Harbor seals may live a maximum of about 25 to 30 years. Males tend to have a
shorter lifespan, possibly due to the stress of fighting during breeding seasons.
Females give birth to one pup each spring.
Pup mortality is about 21% in the first year; not unusually high compared to most
species of animals in the wild. Pups may starve, be abandoned, wash away from
pupping areas during high seas, or become ill or injured.
Harbor seal adults and pups can be preyed upon by killer whales, sharks,
coyotes, and eagles.
Marine debris is a threat to harbor seals. They can become entangled in nylon
fishing nets or plastic packaging materials, causing severe injury or drowning.
Harbor seals also ingest plastic debris, which can cause starvation (bulky plastic
in the stomach sends a "full" signal to the brain, so normal eating is inhibited).
Ingested plastic can also cause obstructions in the digestive tract. Please leave
nothing on Central Coast beaches but your footprints.
Harbor seals are susceptible to a number of diseases and parasites. If you
should come across a seal or other marine animal in distress, DO NOT
APPROACH IT. Call the Marine Mammal Center at (415) 289-SEAL, or Pacific
Wildlife Care at (805) 543-WILD.
Often curious, harbor seals will watch people walking along the shore or follow
divers or swimmers in the water. They may look friendly and playful, but they are
wild animals, please keep your distance. They can be dangerous and aggressive.
The U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 made it illegal to hunt
or harass any marine mammal in U.S. waters
The primary objective of the MMPA is to maintain the health and stability of the
marine ecosystem and to obtain and maintain an optimum sustainable
population of marine mammals.
Quiet and shy, plump harbor seals can be seen year-round, resting lazily on
rocks just off the shores of the Central Coast. These marine mammals belong to
the order Pinnipedia, along with elephant seals, and sea lions .The earliest
fossil record for phocids dates back 12 to 15 million years. The ancestors of
harbor seals were once able to walk on land.
Harbor seals are "true" seals, family Phocidae. Unlike sea lions, they lack
external ear flaps and are unable to rotate their hind flippers under their
bodies.These small sausage-shaped seals have spotted silver-gray to black
coats. They have a well-developed sense of hearing, especially in the water.
Harbor seals have large eyes. Adapted for sight in dark and murky water. Mucus
continually washes over the eyes to protect them. Unlike most land mammals,
pinnipeds lack a duct for draining eye fluids into the nasal passages. When a
harbor seal is out of the water, mucus surrounding the eyes gives them a wet,
"tear-rimmed" look. Their vision underwater is better than a human's, but inferior
on land. Good vision does not seem to be essential to harbor seal survival;
scientists have found blind but otherwise healthy individuals, including mothers
with pups, at sea.
A harbor seal uses its sensitive vibrissae (or whiskers) to find food, especially in
dark, deep waters or at night. Each vibrissa can move independently. Under
water, a harbor seal thrusts its vibrissae to and fro in a sweeping movement by
pushing its mobile upper lip in and out. Prey moving under water creates
vibrations that the seal may detect with its vibrissae.
Harbor seals often are found sharing haul-out space with other pinnipeds, such
as California sea lions and Northern elephant seals. Harbor seals rarely interact
with other species but show aggression if threatened.
Harbor seals may live a maximum of about 25 to 30 years. Males tend to have a
shorter lifespan, possibly due to the stress of fighting during breeding seasons.
Females give birth to one pup each spring.
Pup mortality is about 21% in the first year; not unusually high compared to most
species of animals in the wild. Pups may starve, be abandoned, wash away from
pupping areas during high seas, or become ill or injured.
Harbor seal adults and pups can be preyed upon by killer whales, sharks,
coyotes, and eagles.
Marine debris is a threat to harbor seals. They can become entangled in nylon
fishing nets or plastic packaging materials, causing severe injury or drowning.
Harbor seals also ingest plastic debris, which can cause starvation (bulky plastic
in the stomach sends a "full" signal to the brain, so normal eating is inhibited).
Ingested plastic can also cause obstructions in the digestive tract. Please leave
nothing on Central Coast beaches but your footprints.
Harbor seals are susceptible to a number of diseases and parasites. If you
should come across a seal or other marine animal in distress, DO NOT
APPROACH IT. Call the Marine Mammal Center at (415) 289-SEAL, or Pacific
Wildlife Care at (805) 543-WILD.
Often curious, harbor seals will watch people walking along the shore or follow
divers or swimmers in the water. They may look friendly and playful, but they are
wild animals, please keep your distance. They can be dangerous and aggressive.
The U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 made it illegal to hunt
or harass any marine mammal in U.S. waters
The primary objective of the MMPA is to maintain the health and stability of the
marine ecosystem and to obtain and maintain an optimum sustainable
population of marine mammals.
| Click for info |
Garnett, harbor seal pup patient
at The Marine Mammal Center
at The Marine Mammal Center
| Harbor seal pup. Photo: NMFS |
| Harbor seal. Photo: NMFS |
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