Harp seals are pinnipeds, which mean that they are able to live on land and in the water. They are very social creatures who stay together in large herds but only form bonds with their young.
Ancestors of the seals were most likely dogs. Perhaps that is why their young are called pups. Creatures that lived on sea coast so long ago used the food of the sea to survive and their bodies became adapted to that way of life.
Adult Harp Seal
Bodies became streamlined for speed in the water. Feet became webbed as swimming was of major importance to survival. Blubber became a factor in survival.
They live in the North Atlantic Ocean. They are excellent divers and the blubber helps protect their bodies from the pressure of water when diving deep.
Their lungs are designed to collapse during deep diving so on the way back to the surface they will not suffer the pain of the bends. They can stay under water for over a half hour. Their heart rate slows and their blood only flows to organs of priority.
Like whales, they use a method of communication called echolocation.
Sounds from the seal swimming bounce off objects in the water, whilst the seal, having very keen hearing, knows where the object is.
Harp seals have coats of very short hair, not fur. Its name comes from the harp shaped band which crosses it’s shoulders the color of the band is a bit darker than their fur and the males have a darker band than females.
They have nostrils which automatically close when they dive.The nostrils stay closed when they sleep under water, floating beneath the surface.
Harp Seal
Their body warns them when the oxygen levels drop and without waking, they drift upward to get some breaths of air and nostrils close again as they go back under water where they feel safer sleeping.
Once a female is five years old she will mate.Gestation is seven and a half months.She gives birth on the ice to one baby.
The distinct scent of her own pup is how she will later find it when they rejoin the huge herd where there are so many newborn pups.
The mother’s milk is very fat rich so the pup can begin to make blubber. The pups are about three feet long at birth. They can gain as much as ten lbs. a week.
Their babyhood is short — about three weeks. They are weaned and on their own before being a month old. The little ones molt at weeks. The colors of harp seal coats change as they age.
When the pups are left alone, they have a rough time adjusting to that.They seek out other pups for comfort.
Blubber keeps them nourished as they don’t eat or drink until finally hunger and curiosity gets them into the actual water and when the panic of that turns to instinct and they swim, then they begin to adjust well.
Baby Harp Seal
The pups are in the water sometime in April and that is a great time for good feeding on fish and plankton and even plants.
They watch and learn from the adults and become part of the herd.
They do not swim fast, but make a journey of a few thousand miles to spend the summer where their ancestors did.
The diet consists of salmon, herring, shrimp, eels, crabs, octopus, and crustaceans of the sea.
The seal have become victims of pollution, of fisherman and their nets, and of seal hunters. Like all of our animals, they are a valuable part of our ecology and as wondrous living creatures they deserve our full protection.
Harp Seal Image Gallery
Popularity: 45%
The name given to these guys just about says it all.
Fur seals are beautiful marine mammals that have...
Known for being the largest pinniped as well as the biggest member of the Carnivora order, the elephant...
The Mediterranean monk seal's are the most critically endangered of all sea mammals are a re believed to...
How can people be so cruel to hunt them for nothing more than a coat. We should take better care of our creatures. Hunting to eat, well even the animals do that but they don’t hunt each other just to get a jacket to ware.
maybe there are people out there that starve so they kill them
What a beautiful picture of the baby seal
Why do they hunt the poor little cute creatures!
Because i think they want to use them for food and clothing. I know its sad… but i guess people think that are made so they become food!
Why do they hunt them! They dont do nothing to us! There just so cute!
They are hunted to control their population. With the crash of the Cod fishery and all around harvesting of fish species, the Harp seals food source has been greatly reduced. For the last 4-5 years harp seals have been seen in places never seen before, even when referencing Inuit ancestral history. This includes ponds and rivers where they are beginning to have a devestating effect on trout and salmon species. It is feared that it is only a matter of time before the Harp seal herd begins to experience starvation and the multitude of side effects that brings with it, including disease.
I tend to disagree with that commentary on many levels. Hunting the older seals is population control. Clubbing the infants is greed.
It is purely evil. The so called men who kill these babies are inhuman and must be devoid of any emotions. It should not be called a “hunt” . The animals are not hunted, they are just sitting targets for the scum to kill.
how stupid for those people to do that to those little things there so adorible and for all u who do it ur an @$$
how could people be so heartless and hurt something so innocent
It’s so cruel what they do to those little animals. I’m writing a report right now and it seems mean to just hunt for the fur and nothing else. I can see why people hunt for food, but noone will get much meat off of such a little seal. Who ever hunts the pups should be fined
this website is very helpful have to do a report on harp seals for school and thank god i found this website or i’d be lost searching every page on google and i just wanted to take a moment to say thanks!
sincerely, mariah
don’t hunt seals!
i think that it is very for people to slaughter those little inocent creatures like that.honestly people shold not treat any living creature that God has put on this eath just to be killed for its fur and if they dont like it they can emmigrate some place ele its that simple. i wonder how the hunters feel when they look in the pups eyes and say how can i do this its so wrong IT NEEDS TO STOP NOW!
its very natural for every one to brith and die do not criticize no one
save the nature and animals. because we are also animals. if we take care of our nature then it will take care of us. think of HUMANITY. EARTH is HEAVEN with all the species.
those poor babies. how any person could look into the eyes of a baby harp seal only to bring a hook or club onto its head is sick and cruel. they should make seal hunting punishable. i vote the “hunters” be taken out and clubbed to death themselves.
I can’t believe people kill animals and it isn’t illegal. People would feel the same way if animals tried to shoot them to make a fur coat. The amount of animals endangered mostly because of cruel merciless people hunting them is unbelievable. What did these cute innocent animals ever do to us?
they are so adorable and cute why do they kill them
i think that they are so cute as a baby why do they kill them why don’t they kill krill
i know how you fell im sick of people doing this to animals and i fell so disgusted about it
they are wonderful and cute and adorable.They are so cute,and chubby little creatures!
they are wonderful and interesting creatures!
the seals are beautiful in so many ways
I am doing a report on them, they are so cute!
here’s what i say people who hunt such cute little creatures are complete idiots. i mean who could hunt such helpless little creatures just for coats. The least you could do is wait for the seals to die then take them for coats.
So peace out, nature lover
im doing a report on them too, they are ADORABLE!!!!
They haven’t hunted the baby seals since 1987. They have to be more than a year old now, which means they have already lost their white coat and are fully grown
Im doing a report on them for science, they are so cute!!
I cannot tell you how ANGRY THIS MAKES ME! I really dont give a flying f**k if people are only hunting them for FOOD and for FUR to keep warm, they can go and find other resources for food and warmth ! Assbags!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you think im over reacting, trust me im not- go and check some images on google (type in ‘seals being killed’) and then go on youtube and type in ‘canadian seal hunt’ – youll soon understand why I am so ANGRY and EXTREMELY UPSET! I honestly cried over this matter for around TWO HOURS! If by some chance the UGLY FAT NO BRAIN ASSBAGS come across this comment then i want you rat bags to know: STOP DOING THIS NOWWWWWWWW! Everyone hates you apart from the people buying the far- (selfish bast*rds, getting seals killed just so they can have a coat!) ROT IN HELL ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS ARE DOES THIS.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!