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.
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.
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.
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
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.
What a beautiful picture of the baby seal
Why do they hunt the poor little cute creatures!
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 @$$
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
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
they are wonderful and cute and adorable.They are so cute,and chubby little creatures!
they are wonderful and interesting creatures!
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